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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · season · bank · leaves · kick · scale · tear · bear

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bear — the animal
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. season — in sport
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. tear — from crying
  11. scale — in music
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bank — of a river
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bear — the animal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bank — for money
  18. season — of the year
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mark — a trace
  21. kick — in football
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. tear — to rip
  24. leaves — lets stay

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