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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. spell — letters
  5. bank — of a river
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bank — for money
  11. spell — magic
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stand — to bear
  14. lean — thin
  15. deal — to handle
  16. spell — a short time
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bank — for money
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. deal — an agreement

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