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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bank — for money
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bank — of a river
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. rest — a break
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. sharp — exactly

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