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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. drill — a practice
  6. spell — letters
  7. mate — to breed
  8. drill — army training
  9. cue — a hint
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spring — the season
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mate — a partner
  19. spell — magic
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. spring — of water
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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