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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bank — for money
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bank — of a river
  9. firm — steady
  10. cell — in biology
  11. firm — a company
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wind — moving air
  14. squash — to crush
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bank — for money
  20. craft — boats
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. firm — decided
  24. perch — the fish

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