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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. track — to keep track
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tube — a container
  6. suit — in cards
  7. board — to get on
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. board — a committee
  12. suit — to fit
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tube — the underground
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. season — in sport
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. track — a song
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. track — a path

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