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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. season — of the year
  5. bank — for money
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bank — for money
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. last — final
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wound — an injury
  18. last — to go on
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. spring — of water
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. bank — of a river

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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