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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. spell — a short time
  5. game — wild animals
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. game — a match
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. kick — in football
  15. bound — certain
  16. spell — magic
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. snap — to click
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spell — letters
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. hide — animal skin

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