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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. kick — in football
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fall — the season
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. current — happening now
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitch — completely
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. branch — a division
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. season — of the year
  24. chair — a leader

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