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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. row — a line
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. spell — a short time
  6. track — a song
  7. key — in music
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. season — in sport
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. lean — thin
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. track — a path
  16. wound — an injury
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. spell — magic
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. spell — letters
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wound — an injury
  24. row — to paddle

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