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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. spring — of water
  4. bank — for money
  5. charge — electricity
  6. face — to confront
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. season — of the year
  11. pit — in a race
  12. spring — the season
  13. face — part of the head
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. face — to point toward
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bank — for money
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. spring — a coil
  20. charge — a price
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stand — to bear
  23. charge — in control
  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