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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. craft — boats
  3. rash — a series
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. deal — to handle
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bank — for money
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bank — for money
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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