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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bank — for money
  3. dip — to sink
  4. fall — the season
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. present — the time now
  8. spring — the season
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fall — to drop
  13. present — a gift
  14. fall — to drop
  15. present — there
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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