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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wound — an injury
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. can — a tin
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wake — a trail
  20. branch — a division
  21. wound — an injury
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bank — for money
  24. deal — a big deal

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