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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rock — a stone
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. band — a ring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rock — music
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to click
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cell — a phone
  21. band — a music group
  22. cell — in biology
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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