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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. season — in sport
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bank — of a river
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. season — of the year
  16. bank — for money
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bulb — for light
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bank — for money
  21. swing — music
  22. stand — to bear
  23. prune — to trim
  24. temple — a place of worship

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