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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. last — finally
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mate — a friend
  8. ground — the earth
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. last — to go on
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bank — for money
  16. last — final
  17. mate — to breed
  18. ground — a position
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bank — for money
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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