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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 120 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bank — for money
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. dip — to sink
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pop — music
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pop — soda
  24. bulb — for light

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