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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. season — of the year
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rest — a break
  9. saw — the tool
  10. deal — to handle
  11. season — in sport
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rest — what's left
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bass — the instrument

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