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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bank — of a river
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. tear — to rip
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. object — to protest
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. object — a thing
  13. last — to go on
  14. bank — for money
  15. tear — from crying
  16. last — finally
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. last — final
  21. tear — from crying
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bank — for money
  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