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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.

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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. wake — a trail
  8. swing — to play on
  9. present — the time now
  10. swing — music
  11. lean — thin
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. swing — in golf
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. sharp — clever

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