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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. season — in sport
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. branch — a division
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ball — a dance
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. suit — in cards
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. saw — the tool
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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