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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — magic
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. rock — a stone
  7. capital — a city
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rock — music
  10. bank — for money
  11. capital — money
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spring — of water
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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