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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 116 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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bank — for money
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spring — the season
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pop — music
  7. spring — of water
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pop — to visit
  10. spell — letters
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pop — soda
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bank — for money
  15. spell — magic
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. ground — a position
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. cabinet — ministers

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