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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. suit — in cards
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. season — of the year
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. lie — to recline
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bank — for money
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. ground — the earth
  15. suit — clothes
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. sharp — clever
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bank — of a river

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