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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. season — of the year
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. field — for sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. field — a subject
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. season — in sport
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. field — farmland
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mine — for digging
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. safe — out of danger

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