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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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Word bank
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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. foot — a measure
  3. can — a tin
  4. branch — a division
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. can — to be able to
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. season — of the year
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cue — a hint
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. suit — in cards
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. season — in sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. ball — a great time
  24. branch — of a bank

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