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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bank — for money
  4. deal — to handle
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cold — an illness
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. club — for golf
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bear — the animal
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. branch — a division
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. season — of the year
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bear — the animal
  21. season — in sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. bank — of a river

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