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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bank — of a river
  3. spell — a short time
  4. season — of the year
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. last — to go on
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. last — final
  9. bank — for money
  10. season — in sport
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. present — a gift
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. present — the time now
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. present — there
  20. bank — for money
  21. spell — letters
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. spell — magic
  24. bay — a horse colour

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