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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bank — of a river
  3. present — the time now
  4. bank — for money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. present — there
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bulb — for light
  11. tear — to rip
  12. wake — a trail
  13. snap — to click
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bank — for money
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. capital — a city
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — to sink
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com