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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bank — of a river
  7. spell — magic
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. spell — letters
  13. bank — for money
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — a partner
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mine — belonging to me

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