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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: fine · bowl · present · spell · bear · chest · season · rush

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rush — hurry
  6. present — there
  7. fine — all right
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. spell — magic
  15. present — the time now
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. present — a gift
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. spell — letters
  23. chest — of your body
  24. season — of the year

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