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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. season — in sport
  6. saw — the tool
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chip — for betting
  10. spell — magic
  11. staff — employees
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. staff — employees
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spell — letters
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ball — a great time
  21. chip — to eat
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. spell — a short time
  24. staff — a stick

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