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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. mug — a cup
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spring — a coil
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. spring — the season
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mug — to rob
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. spring — of water
  19. march — music
  20. kid — child
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mug — a face
  23. lean — thin
  24. pitch — completely

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