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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. object — a thing
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mine — for digging
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. can — a tin
  18. bore — to drill
  19. object — to protest
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. object — an aim
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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