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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. spring — of water
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spring — the season
  8. chest — a box
  9. charge — a price
  10. wake — a trail
  11. net — for catching
  12. charge — in control
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bank — for money
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. net — after costs
  18. pass — a permit
  19. net — in sport
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. spring — a coil
  24. charge — electricity

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