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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. drill — the tool
  6. ground — a position
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. tube — a container
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. drill — a practice
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bear — the animal
  16. drill — army training
  17. spell — letters
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bank — of a river
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. straw — dry grass

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