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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wind — moving air
  3. court — of law
  4. spring — of water
  5. bank — for money
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. court — of a king
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bank — of a river
  15. court — for sport
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. hand — help
  18. spring — the season
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bank — for money
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. spring — a coil

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