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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. season — of the year
  3. bank — of a river
  4. season — in sport
  5. bank — for money
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bank — for money
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wind — moving air
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. perch — the fish
  14. firm — a company
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bass — low music
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wind — moving air
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. jam — in traffic

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