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

Word bank: fall · bank · season · kick · fine · cold · drill · present

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cold — not warm
  4. present — the time now
  5. season — in sport
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bank — for money
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. present — there
  13. drill — the tool
  14. kick — in football
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bank — for money
  20. fall — the season
  21. present — a gift
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cold — an illness
  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