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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. season — in sport
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. swing — music
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rest — a break
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. shower — rain
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. swing — to play on

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