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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bank — for money
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. march — the month
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bank — of a river
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. march — the month
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. march — music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bank — for money
  23. kick — in football
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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