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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fine — all right
  4. rock — music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spring — the season
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. spring — of water
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fan — to cool the air

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