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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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bank — for money
  3. spring — the season
  4. rock — music
  5. key — in music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bank — for money
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. spring — of water
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. hide — to keep secret

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