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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mate — to breed
  3. land — a country
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. season — in sport
  10. mark — a trace
  11. staff — employees
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mate — a friend
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lean — thin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. staff — a stick
  20. land — to come down
  21. staff — employees
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. season — of the year
  24. land — ground

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