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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cell — in biology
  5. season — in sport
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bore — to tire
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. craft — a skill
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. craft — boats
  12. drill — army training
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bank — for money
  15. drill — the tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bank — for money
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. season — to add flavour

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