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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rock — music
  4. chair — a leader
  5. rock — a stone
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. spell — letters
  9. pit — in a race
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bank — for money
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bank — for money
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. scale — in music
  19. spell — magic
  20. pit — a hole
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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