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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bank — for money
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bank — of a river
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. object — to protest
  9. season — of the year
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bear — the animal
  14. object — an aim
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mate — a partner
  17. hand — in cards
  18. object — a thing
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. season — in sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. hand — help
  24. bear — the animal

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