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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. 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. season — of the year
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. board — a committee
  8. cap — a lid
  9. spell — magic
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. board — to get on
  12. kick — in football
  13. cap — a hat
  14. spell — letters
  15. cap — of ice
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. 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