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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 116 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. net — in sport
  3. bank — for money
  4. last — finally
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. bank — for money
  8. lie — to recline
  9. net — for catching
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. last — final
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spring — of water
  14. net — after costs
  15. object — to protest
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spring — the season
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spring — a coil
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. last — to go on
  24. spell — letters

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