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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bank — for money
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bound — tied together
  9. spring — the season
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. spring — of water
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bank — for money
  14. bound — obliged
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bound — certain
  17. drill — the tool
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. drill — army training
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. drill — a practice

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