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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. track — a path
  3. spell — magic
  4. field — for sport
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. track — a song
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bank — for money
  10. spell — a short time
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rash — a series
  14. bank — of a river
  15. last — final
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. field — farmland
  18. last — finally
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spell — letters
  21. field — a subject
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. last — to go on
  24. rash — hasty

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