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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bank — of a river
  6. date — the fruit
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. season — of the year
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bank — for money
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. degree — from a university
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. row — a line
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bank — for money
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. degree — an amount
  24. leaves — to go away

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