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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bank — of a river
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. spring — of water
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. last — finally
  8. bank — for money
  9. last — to go on
  10. bank — for money
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. snap — to click
  15. board — a committee
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a face
  19. board — to get on
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mug — a cup
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mouse — the animal

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