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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. root — of a plant
  6. kick — in football
  7. bass — low music
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. root — of a word
  13. bass — the fish
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mug — a face
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. root — the cause
  20. season — in sport
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. fan — a supporter

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