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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stand — to bear
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bank — for money
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. field — for sport
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. field — a subject
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. field — farmland
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bank — for money

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