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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. present — there
  3. file — a line of people
  4. spring — a coil
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bank — for money
  7. bulb — for light
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bulb — for light
  10. file — a document
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. present — the time now
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bank — of a river
  16. present — a gift
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. tube — the underground
  19. file — a tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bank — for money
  22. tube — a container
  23. dip — to sink
  24. spring — the season

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