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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. season — of the year
  7. bank — of a river
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bank — for money
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bank — for money
  15. bound — certain
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bulb — for light
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bound — tied together

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