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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bulb — for light
  5. land — to come down
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. land — ground
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. hand — help
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bank — of a river
  15. craft — a skill
  16. spell — a short time
  17. land — a country
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bank — for money
  20. spell — magic
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. spell — letters
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ruler — a monarch

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