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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. present — the time now
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bank — of a river
  5. object — to protest
  6. key — in music
  7. kid — child
  8. wake — a trail
  9. object — an aim
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. present — a gift
  12. cell — a phone
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bank — for money
  18. present — there
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. cell — in biology
  22. object — a thing
  23. bank — for money
  24. key — the most important part

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