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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: toast · bank · mark · tube · spell · wound · land · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bank — for money
  5. wound — an injury
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bank — for money
  8. land — to come down
  9. spring — a coil
  10. tube — the underground
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. mark — a trace
  14. spring — the season
  15. tube — a container
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. land — a country
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. spell — magic
  20. toast — bread
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. land — ground

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