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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. track — a song
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bank — for money
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. spell — magic
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. spell — letters
  11. bank — for money
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bat — the animal
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. deal — to handle
  17. track — a path
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. toast — bread
  22. track — to keep track
  23. snap — to click
  24. bank — of a river

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