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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bank — for money
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. spell — a short time
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. spell — letters
  12. staff — employees
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. staff — a stick
  19. mine — for digging
  20. spell — magic
  21. staff — employees
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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