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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bank — for money
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bat — the animal
  14. season — in sport
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bank — for money
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. saw — the tool
  24. arm — part of the body

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