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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: field · shower · season · court · bank · object · leaves · lash

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bank — of a river
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. field — farmland
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. shower — rain
  11. court — of law
  12. shower — to wash
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. object — to protest
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bank — for money
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. court — for sport
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bank — for money
  24. leaves — lets stay

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