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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cold — an illness
  4. bank — for money
  5. spring — of water
  6. bank — of a river
  7. spring — a coil
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spell — magic
  12. staff — employees
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cold — not warm
  16. spring — the season
  17. bank — for money
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. spell — letters
  21. staff — employees
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. staff — a stick

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