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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pitch — completely
  12. last — finally
  13. rock — a stone
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rock — music
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. spring — of water
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bank — for money
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. last — to go on
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. row — a line
  24. last — final

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