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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bank — for money
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. capital — money
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bank — of a river
  16. capital — a city
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kid — to tease
  20. spell — letters
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. mouse — for a computer

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