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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bank — for money
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. spell — letters
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. chip — for betting
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spell — magic
  10. firm — a company
  11. chip — to eat
  12. firm — decided
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. spring — of water
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bank — for money
  21. spring — the season
  22. firm — steady
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bank — of a river

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