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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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. saw — past of 'see'
  4. present — the time now
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. season — of the year
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wake — a trail
  10. suit — to fit
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. present — there
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. present — a gift
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. suit — clothes
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. squash — to crush
  21. vault — a safe
  22. chair — a leader
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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