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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. craft — boats
  6. staff — employees
  7. net — for catching
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. season — in sport
  12. fine — all right
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. band — a ring
  15. fine — high quality
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. craft — a skill
  22. staff — employees
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. staff — a stick

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