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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bank — for money
  3. spell — magic
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rash — hasty
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bank — for money
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. branch — a division
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bound — certain
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bank — of a river
  17. scale — in music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pit — in a race
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rock — music

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