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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 120 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bank — for money
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bulb — for light
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. firm — a company
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bank — for money
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. firm — decided
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. saw — the tool

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