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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 120 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 · game · can · present · spell · saw · hand · mug

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — the time now
  3. can — a tin
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bank — of a river
  6. hand — help
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mug — to rob
  9. spell — letters
  10. mug — a cup
  11. present — a gift
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mug — a face
  15. can — to be able to
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spell — a short time
  18. game — a match
  19. spell — magic
  20. present — there
  21. bank — for money
  22. can — a tin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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