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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fine — all right
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ground — the earth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ground — a position
  13. season — of the year
  14. ground — crushed
  15. season — in sport
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bank — for money
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bank — for money
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bark — to shout

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