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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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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. 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 — to add flavour
  2. ball — a dance
  3. craft — a skill
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. spell — magic
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pitch — completely
  12. season — in sport
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. spell — letters
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rush — hurry
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. craft — boats
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. season — of the year
  24. 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