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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bank — for money
  3. season — in sport
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bank — of a river
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. season — of the year
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. face — part of the head
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. tear — to rip
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. tear — from crying
  24. face — to confront

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