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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. last — final
  3. last — finally
  4. bank — for money
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. season — of the year
  12. perch — the fish
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. season — in sport
  17. last — to go on
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mate — a partner
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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