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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rest — what's left
  3. net — after costs
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. drill — a practice
  6. net — for catching
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spell — letters
  11. spring — of water
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. spell — a short time
  14. drill — the tool
  15. spell — magic
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rest — a break
  20. net — in sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. drill — army training
  24. bank — for money

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