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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. capital — money
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mine — for digging
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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