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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. fine — high quality
  6. clip — for paper
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. chip — for betting
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fine — all right
  14. chip — to eat
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lean — to bend
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rock — music
  22. season — in sport
  23. clip — a video
  24. chair — to sit on

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