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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pop — to visit
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bank — for money
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bank — for money
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. snap — to click
  15. fine — all right
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pop — music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. spell — magic
  24. pop — soda

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