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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. last — finally
  3. bank — of a river
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. bank — for money
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. row — to paddle
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. last — to go on
  19. spring — a coil
  20. last — final
  21. bank — for money
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. row — a quarrel

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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