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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bank — for money
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. spell — magic
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. march — the month
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. march — the month
  15. bank — for money
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. march — music
  21. net — after costs
  22. bank — of a river
  23. spell — letters
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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