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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. spell — magic
  3. content — the amount
  4. stock — shares
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. squash — to crush
  13. content — happy
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stock — goods
  16. bank — for money
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bank — of a river
  19. squash — the sport
  20. kick — in football
  21. spell — letters
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kick — with a leg

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