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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cap — a hat
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cap — a lid
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bank — for money
  10. rush — hurry
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. roll — a cake
  13. squash — to crush
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bank — for money
  16. spell — magic
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. spell — letters
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. stand — to bear
  22. squash — the sport
  23. roll — a list
  24. squash — the vegetable

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