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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. season — of the year
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. suit — to fit
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. kid — child
  10. season — in sport
  11. chip — for betting
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cell — a phone
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. kid — to tease
  23. cell — in biology
  24. season — to add flavour

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