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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · scale · rock · last · bank · spring

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. spring — a coil
  3. last — to go on
  4. bank — of a river
  5. spring — of water
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. scale — in music
  9. rock — music
  10. last — finally
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bank — for money
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bank — for money
  15. spring — the season
  16. bear — the animal
  17. last — final
  18. scale — size or range

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