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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. suit — to fit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bank — for money
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. suit — in cards
  8. drill — the tool
  9. fine — all right
  10. fall — to drop
  11. net — for catching
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fall — the season
  15. net — after costs
  16. bank — of a river
  17. net — in sport
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bank — for money
  20. drill — army training
  21. fine — high quality
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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