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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. land — ground
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. squash — the sport
  7. land — to come down
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. season — in sport
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. land — a country
  12. bank — for money
  13. lie — to recline
  14. fine — high quality
  15. present — the time now
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fine — all right
  18. squash — to crush
  19. present — there
  20. bank — for money
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bank — of a river
  24. present — a gift

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