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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 120 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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. squash — the sport
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. net — for catching
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. branch — a division
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. squash — to crush
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. season — in sport

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