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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cue — for pool
  4. season — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. cue — a hint
  10. roll — a cake
  11. cue — a signal
  12. kick — in football
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. net — in sport
  16. tear — to rip
  17. band — a ring
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. tear — from crying
  20. roll — a list
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. band — a music group
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. band — a rubber band

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