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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bank — of a river
  3. lean — thin
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bank — for money
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. saw — the tool
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. drill — army training
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bulb — for light
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ball — a round shape

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