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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spell — magic
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bank — for money
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pass — a permit
  9. spring — of water
  10. fall — the season
  11. bank — for money
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mate — a friend
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mate — a partner
  18. drill — army training
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mate — to breed
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. spell — letters

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