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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. swing — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pass — a permit
  16. swing — in golf
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. spring — of water
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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