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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. spring — of water
  4. deal — to handle
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. spring — the season
  7. toast — bread
  8. season — in sport
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. roll — a list
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. season — of the year
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. spring — a coil
  24. branch — a division

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