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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. lean — thin
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. season — in sport
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. degree — temperature
  17. deal — to handle
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. degree — an amount
  20. craft — boats
  21. sharp — clever
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. degree — from a university
  24. kick — a thrill

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