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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. can — to be able to
  3. last — finally
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. saw — the tool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bank — of a river
  12. dip — to sink
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. last — to go on
  16. spring — a coil
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spring — of water
  19. can — a tin
  20. last — final
  21. bank — for money
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. land — a country
  24. bulb — for light

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