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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pop — music
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pop — soda
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wake — a trail
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pop — to visit
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bank — for money
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bank — of a river

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