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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. season — in sport
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. season — of the year
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bank — for money
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mine — for digging
  10. dip — to sink
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bank — for money
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. trunk — of a car

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