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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. rock — a stone
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. cap — of ice
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cap — a hat
  9. season — in sport
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bear — the animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rock — music
  16. cap — a lid
  17. club — for golf
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bear — the animal
  20. branch — a division
  21. club — a group
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. branch — of a bank

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