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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: spring · season · stick · squash · clip · bank · ruler · bay

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bank — for money
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. clip — a video
  8. squash — to crush
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. spring — the season
  16. bank — for money
  17. spring — a coil
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bank — of a river
  20. season — in sport
  21. spring — of water
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. squash — the sport

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