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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bank — of a river
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ball — a dance
  6. season — in sport
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bulb — for light
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. content — the amount
  16. bank — for money
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. content — happy
  19. season — of the year
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. calf — a young animal

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