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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. spring — the season
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bank — for money
  6. object — a thing
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. object — an aim
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. staff — employees
  14. object — to protest
  15. staff — employees
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. spring — of water
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mine — for digging
  22. staff — a stick
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wake — a trail

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