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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. charge — in control
  4. row — to paddle
  5. drill — the tool
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. spring — of water
  9. bank — for money
  10. spring — a coil
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. season — in sport
  13. dip — to sink
  14. charge — electricity
  15. drill — army training
  16. season — of the year
  17. row — a line
  18. charge — a price
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. drill — a practice
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. spring — the season
  24. track — a path

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