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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bank — for money
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. spring — the season
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. can — a tin
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tear — to rip
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. can — a tin
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. can — to be able to
  24. tear — from crying

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