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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rock — music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bank — of a river
  6. spring — the season
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pop — to visit
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bank — for money
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spring — of water
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. land — ground
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pop — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pop — soda
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fan — to cool the air

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