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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. current — happening now
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. spell — magic
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. season — of the year
  8. spell — a short time
  9. sharp — clever
  10. hand — help
  11. saw — the tool
  12. current — electric
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. current — of water
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. spell — letters
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. sharp — exactly

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