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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bank — for money
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. squash — to crush
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bank — of a river
  11. charge — a price
  12. bank — for money
  13. suit — in cards
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. suit — clothes
  16. present — the time now
  17. fall — the season
  18. charge — in control
  19. fall — to drop
  20. squash — the sport
  21. spring — a coil
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fall — to drop
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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