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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: object · bowl · season · bulb · mine · bank · land · wind

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bulb — for light
  3. object — a thing
  4. bank — for money
  5. land — ground
  6. land — to come down
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bulb — for light
  9. season — in sport
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bank — for money
  16. wind — moving air
  17. object — an aim
  18. land — a country
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. season — of the year

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