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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bank — of a river
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. ground — a position
  8. kid — child
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. ground — crushed
  12. spell — letters
  13. mate — a partner
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spell — magic
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bank — for money

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