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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. season — of the year
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rock — music
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. season — in sport
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. rock — a stone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. branch — a division
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. season — to add flavour

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