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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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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: rest · saw · mark · spring · bank · shower · pitch · can

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. spring — of water
  3. rest — a break
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. shower — rain
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pitch — completely
  17. spring — the season
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bank — for money

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