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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 120 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. squash — the sport
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bank — for money
  6. drill — a practice
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bass — low music
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bank — for money
  14. drill — army training
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. board — to get on
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bass — the fish
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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