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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. season — of the year
  2. kick — in football
  3. current — happening now
  4. dip — to sink
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stand — to bear
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. current — of water
  22. season — in sport
  23. current — electric
  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