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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bank — of a river
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. field — farmland
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bank — for money
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. key — in music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. field — for sport
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. key — the most important part
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. field — a subject

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