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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. hand — help
  3. bank — for money
  4. season — in sport
  5. net — in sport
  6. bank — of a river
  7. lie — to recline
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. object — a thing
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bank — for money
  16. season — of the year
  17. object — an aim
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. object — to protest
  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