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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. last — to go on
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. spring — a coil
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bank — for money
  11. wind — moving air
  12. club — a group
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. spring — of water
  15. bank — for money
  16. last — final
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. club — for golf
  23. last — finally
  24. spring — the season

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