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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: season · hand · chest · ground · mate · rash · deal · bank

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rash — hasty
  3. hand — in cards
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rash — a series
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mate — to breed
  17. hand — help
  18. ground — a position
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bank — of a river

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