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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.

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

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. foot — a measure
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. ball — a dance
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fine — high quality
  13. season — in sport
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fine — all right
  16. season — of the year
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. squash — the sport
  19. ball — a great time
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. fork — in a road

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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