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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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bank — of a river
  3. firm — decided
  4. season — in sport
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. season — of the year
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bank — for money
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bank — for money
  16. wind — moving air
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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