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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: spring · saw · snap · bank · rush · row · pit · spell

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pit — in a race
  5. spring — of water
  6. bank — for money
  7. row — a line
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pit — a hole
  10. spring — a coil
  11. row — to paddle
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rush — hurry
  18. spring — the season
  19. spell — magic
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. spell — letters
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bank — for money
  24. saw — the tool

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