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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 120 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. row — a line
  3. pop — to visit
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pop — music
  6. row — to paddle
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. hand — help
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pop — soda
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bank — for money
  20. fork — in a road
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bank — for money
  24. leaves — of a tree

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