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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mark — a trace
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bank — for money
  11. key — in music
  12. band — a ring
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. spell — magic
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fork — in a road
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. spell — letters
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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