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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bank — for money
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bank — of a river
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mug — a face
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. root — the cause
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bear — the animal
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. fine — high quality
  16. season — in sport
  17. bank — for money
  18. season — of the year
  19. root — of a word
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. fine — all right
  22. wound — an injury
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. fine — a penalty

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