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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mark — a grade
  4. season — of the year
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bank — of a river
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fall — the season
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bank — for money
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mark — a trace
  16. sharp — clever
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. object — a thing
  19. fall — to drop
  20. object — to protest
  21. rest — a break
  22. object — an aim
  23. bank — for money
  24. mark — to pay attention

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