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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 124 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. fall — the season
  3. spring — the season
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bank — of a river
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. spring — of water
  9. bank — for money
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bank — for money
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. spell — magic
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bark — of a tree

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