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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. race — a contest
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. content — happy
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. spring — the season
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bank — for money
  15. race — humankind
  16. content — the amount
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. spring — a coil
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. race — the arms race
  22. spring — of water
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bank — for money

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