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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. fall — the season
  13. chair — a leader
  14. scale — in music
  15. bank — for money
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fall — to drop
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. snap — to click
  24. fall — to drop

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