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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bear — the animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. spell — magic
  6. bank — of a river
  7. spring — the season
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. spell — letters
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bank — for money
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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