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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. craft — boats
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. face — to confront
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. craft — a skill
  10. face — part of the head
  11. spring — the season
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. spring — a coil
  18. face — to point toward
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. present — the time now
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. spring — of water

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