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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bank — for money
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bank — for money
  5. hand — help
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. hand — in cards
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. toast — bread
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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