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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fall — the season
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. spell — letters
  10. bank — for money
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bank — of a river
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spell — magic
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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