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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bank — for money
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lean — to bend
  7. land — ground
  8. bulb — for light
  9. land — to come down
  10. bulb — for light
  11. court — for sport
  12. wake — a trail
  13. lean — thin
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. mate — to breed
  17. court — of a king
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. court — of law
  20. land — a country
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mate — a friend

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