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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mug — to rob
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. court — of law
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mug — a face
  9. row — a line
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. court — of a king
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spell — letters
  21. deal — to handle
  22. court — for sport
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. row — a quarrel

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