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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. season — in sport
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. present — there
  9. squash — to crush
  10. present — the time now
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. season — of the year
  17. cold — not warm
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bank — for money
  20. cold — an illness
  21. bank — for money
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. present — a gift

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