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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. rest — what's left
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. kick — in football
  5. squash — the sport
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rest — what's left
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. stand — to bear
  13. shower — rain
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. season — of the year
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. season — in sport
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rest — a break
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. season — to add flavour

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