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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bank — for money
  5. object — to protest
  6. bank — of a river
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bank — for money
  13. bound — tied together
  14. object — an aim
  15. face — part of the head
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. object — a thing
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. face — to confront
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. spring — a coil

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