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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. deal — to handle
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. craft — boats
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. craft — a skill
  19. drill — the tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bank — for money
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bank — for money
  24. drill — army training

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