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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fall — the season
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bank — of a river
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. fall — to drop
  10. spring — the season
  11. pop — soda
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spell — a short time
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pop — music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bank — for money
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. spring — of water
  24. deal — to handle

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