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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: bank · key · bowl · hand · perch · rush · season · wound

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bank — of a river
  4. perch — the fish
  5. season — of the year
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bank — for money
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bank — for money
  12. wound — an injury
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. key — in music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rush — hurry
  19. hand — help
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. season — in sport
  24. bowl — a dish

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