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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: bank · pitcher · plane · spring · rest · row · dip · march

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bank — of a river
  3. dip — to sink
  4. march — the month
  5. plane — a tool
  6. march — the month
  7. row — a line
  8. spring — of water
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bank — for money
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. spring — the season
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bank — for money
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rest — a break
  18. march — music
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rest — what's left
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. row — to paddle
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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