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

Word bank: wind · toast · craft · bank · spring · rest · swing · rock

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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 — of a river
  2. spring — of water
  3. craft — boats
  4. swing — to play on
  5. toast — bread
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rest — a break
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bank — for money
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rest — what's left
  14. craft — a skill
  15. swing — music
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. spring — the season
  21. rock — a stone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. rock — music
  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