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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wound — an injury
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. land — ground
  7. spell — magic
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bank — of a river
  13. land — a country
  14. spell — letters
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rush — hurry
  22. land — to come down
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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