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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mark — a grade
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. lean — thin
  6. spring — of water
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. spring — the season
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. season — of the year
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rash — a series
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rash — hasty
  24. lean — to bend

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