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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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 · fine · bowl · leaves · stem · wave · safe · bore

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bore — to tire
  9. season — in sport
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. season — to add flavour

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