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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. can — a tin
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. scale — size or range
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. scale — in music
  11. can — to be able to
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bank — for money
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. firm — steady
  16. bank — for money
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. kick — in football
  19. can — a tin
  20. firm — a company
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. spring — the season
  24. firm — decided

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