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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. craft — boats
  4. bank — for money
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rash — a series
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rash — hasty
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bank — for money
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. bank — of a river
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. season — of the year
  24. wound — an injury

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