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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. saw — the tool
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. spring — a coil
  5. snap — to click
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bank — of a river
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bank — for money
  13. spring — of water
  14. net — for catching
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. net — after costs
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. net — in sport
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. spring — the season
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. saw — the tool

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