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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cold — not warm
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. land — ground
  8. cold — an illness
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. land — to come down
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bank — for money
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. season — in sport
  17. pass — a permit
  18. land — a country
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bank — for money
  24. fan — a supporter

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