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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bank — for money
  5. rest — what's left
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. capital — money
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. capital — a city
  12. rest — what's left
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bank — of a river
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. saw — the tool
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rest — a break
  21. bank — for money
  22. mate — a partner
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. roll — a list

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