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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bank — of a river
  3. band — a music group
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rash — hasty
  6. season — of the year
  7. bank — for money
  8. bear — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. shower — to wash
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rash — a series
  18. bear — the animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. band — a ring
  21. bank — for money
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. season — in sport
  24. shower — rain

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