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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pop — music
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pop — to visit
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pop — soda
  13. squash — to crush
  14. sharp — clever
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bank — for money
  19. squash — the sport
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. season — in sport
  23. snap — to click
  24. trunk — of a tree

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