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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: stick · fork · dip · bank · cabinet · spell · pit · chest

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bank — for money
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. dip — to sink
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pit — a hole

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