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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bass — the fish
  7. chest — a box
  8. hand — in cards
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fork — in a road
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bass — low music
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. tube — a container
  15. snap — to click
  16. hand — help
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bank — for money
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bank — for money
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bass — the instrument

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