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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. fall — the season
  3. season — in sport
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bank — of a river
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fall — to drop
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. season — of the year
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. current — happening now
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. spring — the season
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mouse — the animal

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