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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rush — hurry
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. spring — of water
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. ground — a position
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. chest — a box
  17. wake — a trail
  18. present — there
  19. chest — of your body
  20. spring — a coil
  21. chest — of your body
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. spring — the season
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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