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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. key — in music
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. row — a line
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fine — all right
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. saw — the tool
  9. season — in sport
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. season — of the year
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fine — high quality
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. row — to paddle
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. wake — a trail
  24. row — a quarrel

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