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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. court — of a king
  4. bank — for money
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bank — for money
  8. lie — to recline
  9. court — of law
  10. spring — of water
  11. bank — of a river
  12. spring — the season
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. file — a document
  19. court — for sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. deal — to handle
  24. file — a tool

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