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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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bank — for money
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. can — a tin
  6. lean — thin
  7. spring — a coil
  8. lean — to bend
  9. can — to be able to
  10. spring — the season
  11. kid — child
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bank — for money
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. spring — of water
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. can — a tin
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lean — to rest against

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