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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. can — a tin
  3. bank — of a river
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bear — the animal
  6. land — to come down
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bank — for money
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spell — a short time
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wound — an injury
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. spell — letters
  19. can — a tin
  20. row — a line
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bank — for money
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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