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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. ground — crushed
  5. present — there
  6. can — to be able to
  7. ground — the earth
  8. present — the time now
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. season — in sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. spell — letters
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stand — to bear
  18. present — a gift
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. ground — a position
  21. wake — a trail
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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