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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. season — of the year
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. season — in sport
  10. bank — of a river
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wake — a trail
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. cap — of ice
  19. saw — the tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bank — for money
  23. cap — a hat
  24. calf — of the leg

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