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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. spell — a short time
  4. season — of the year
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. spell — magic
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. spell — letters
  12. dip — to sink
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mug — to rob
  18. season — in sport
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. spring — the season
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bear — the animal

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