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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 116 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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. lean — thin
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pit — a hole
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. track — a path
  9. face — part of the head
  10. season — in sport
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. face — to confront
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pit — in a race
  20. face — to point toward
  21. fork — in a road
  22. deal — to handle
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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