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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bank — for money
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bank — of a river
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. shower — rain
  11. lean — thin
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bank — for money
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. fork — to eat with

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