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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. last — finally
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. last — to go on
  6. snap — to click
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bank — for money
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. bank — for money
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bank — of a river
  15. last — final
  16. kick — in football
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. board — to get on
  24. season — in sport

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