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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. season — of the year
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rule — government
  10. spring — the season
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. season — in sport
  16. dip — to sink
  17. firm — a company
  18. hand — help
  19. spring — of water
  20. firm — decided
  21. rush — hurry
  22. firm — steady
  23. hand — in cards
  24. rule — a law

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