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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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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: last · ball · safe · foot · rush · bear · spring · season

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. spring — of water
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rush — hurry
  13. last — finally
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. spring — the season
  20. bear — the animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. foot — a measure
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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