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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: ground · toast · bank · saw · spell · mouse · fork · shower

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fork — in a road
  8. shower — rain
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bank — of a river
  13. ground — crushed
  14. spell — magic
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bank — for money
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. spell — letters
  21. saw — the tool
  22. toast — bread
  23. spell — a short time
  24. ground — a position

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