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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. spring — a coil
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. spring — the season
  5. bank — for money
  6. face — to confront
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stand — to bear
  9. face — part of the head
  10. row — a line
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. spring — of water
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bank — for money
  18. tube — a container
  19. bear — the animal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. row — to paddle

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