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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bank — for money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mug — to rob
  13. club — for golf
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mug — a face
  16. club — a group
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bulb — for light
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. capital — money
  21. bank — for money
  22. bulb — for light
  23. capital — a city
  24. cap — a hat

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