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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 120 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. bank — for money
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mug — to rob
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pop — to visit
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — soda
  11. rash — a series
  12. bank — for money
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fall — the season
  15. craft — boats
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. craft — a skill
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mug — a face
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pop — music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mug — a cup
  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