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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 124 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. land — ground
  3. bank — for money
  4. game — a match
  5. spell — letters
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. game — wild animals
  9. fall — the season
  10. swing — music
  11. bank — of a river
  12. land — to come down
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bank — for money
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bear — the animal
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. land — a country
  23. fall — to drop
  24. toast — bread

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