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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. key — for a lock
  4. last — to go on
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bound — certain
  8. bank — for money
  9. mark — a grade
  10. season — in sport
  11. last — finally
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. key — in music
  17. last — final
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bank — for money
  21. bound — tied together
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lie — to recline
  24. racket — a loud noise

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