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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 124 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cap — a lid
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. game — a match
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bank — for money
  11. season — in sport
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pound — a weight
  14. game — wild animals
  15. sharp — clever
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. season — of the year
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bank — for money
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. cap — of ice
  24. sharp — exactly

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