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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. capital — a city
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. drill — army training
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bank — for money
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. capital — money
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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