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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bank — for money
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spell — letters
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — a phone
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. spell — magic
  17. game — a match
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bank — for money
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bulb — for light

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