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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mate — a friend
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bank — of a river
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rest — a break
  8. object — a thing
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spring — a coil
  12. object — to protest
  13. mate — to breed
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bank — for money
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. object — an aim

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