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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. bulb — for light
  5. track — a path
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. wind — moving air
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wind — moving air
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bulb — for light
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bank — for money

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