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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 124 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. squash — to crush
  3. season — of the year
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. suit — to fit
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mate — a friend
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. content — the amount
  12. lean — to bend
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mate — to breed
  16. season — in sport
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mate — a partner
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. lean — thin
  22. squash — the sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. content — happy

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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