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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. branch — a division
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — a coil
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. can — a tin
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bass — low music
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bass — the fish
  17. season — in sport
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. spring — of water
  21. mate — a friend
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. can — to be able to
  24. straw — a straw man

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