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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wake — a trail
  3. spring — of water
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spring — the season
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mate — a friend

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