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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. bank — for money
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. key — for a lock
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spring — the season
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. spring — of water
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. key — the most important part
  18. spell — magic
  19. wind — moving air
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bank — for money
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bank — of a river
  24. key — in music

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