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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · prune · fine · spell · nail · wind · bank · foot

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bank — for money
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fine — all right
  12. prune — to trim
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. prune — to trim
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wind — moving air
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bank — for money
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. fine — high quality
  24. spell — a short time

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