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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bank — for money
  3. spring — of water
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. present — there
  9. bear — the animal
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. present — a gift
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — a coil
  23. present — the time now
  24. rest — what's left

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