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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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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bank — for money
  3. snap — to click
  4. object — an aim
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. track — to keep track
  8. season — in sport
  9. object — to protest
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. track — a path
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. track — a song
  15. object — a thing
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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