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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cap — a hat
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bank — for money
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bank — for money
  14. roll — a cake
  15. chest — a box
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. cap — of ice
  24. roll — a list

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