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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bank — for money
  5. net — in sport
  6. row — to paddle
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. object — to protest
  9. net — for catching
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wound — an injury
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wound — an injury
  14. craft — boats
  15. object — an aim
  16. row — a line
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. object — a thing
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bank — for money
  21. net — after costs
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. craft — a skill

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