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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. rest — what's left
  5. season — of the year
  6. object — to protest
  7. rock — music
  8. object — a thing
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rest — a break
  12. object — an aim
  13. ground — crushed
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bank — for money
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bank — of a river
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bank — for money
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. season — to add flavour

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