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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. kid — to tease
  5. rush — hurry
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. present — there
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. present — a gift
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. kid — child
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. present — the time now
  24. rash — a series

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