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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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. mine — an explosive
  4. bank — for money
  5. board — a committee
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bank — of a river
  8. spring — of water
  9. board — to get on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mine — for digging
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. spell — magic
  19. lean — thin
  20. spring — the season
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. spell — a short time

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