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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. season — in sport
  3. mug — a face
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fine — all right
  7. season — of the year
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. fine — high quality
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mug — to rob
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mug — a cup
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fine — a penalty

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