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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 124 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. season — in sport
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wound — an injury
  7. present — the time now
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wound — an injury
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bass — low music
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bank — for money
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bank — for money
  23. season — of the year
  24. key — in music

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