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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. clip — a video
  3. bank — of a river
  4. suit — in cards
  5. clip — for paper
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. suit — to fit
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. lean — thin
  12. season — of the year
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. suit — clothes
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. season — in sport
  19. band — a music group
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. spring — of water
  22. clip — to cut
  23. spring — the season
  24. band — a ring

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