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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. land — to come down
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fork — in a road
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. season — in sport
  11. land — ground
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. spring — a coil
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spring — of water
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chair — a leader
  20. season — of the year
  21. spring — the season
  22. bank — for money
  23. land — a country
  24. fork — a garden tool

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