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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: present · last · spring · saw · bulb · date · game · bank

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. last — finally
  4. bulb — for light
  5. game — a match
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bank — for money
  8. present — the time now
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. spring — the season
  11. present — there
  12. bank — of a river
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bulb — for light
  18. last — to go on
  19. present — a gift
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. last — final
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bank — for money

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