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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. season — of the year
  4. chest — of your body
  5. snap — to click
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mate — a friend
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. saw — the tool
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. chest — a box
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bat — the animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mate — a partner
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. season — in sport
  23. rock — music
  24. mate — to breed

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