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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. season — in sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. season — of the year
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. can — to be able to
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. spell — a short time
  13. board — a committee
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. kick — in football
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. can — a tin
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. spell — magic
  24. kick — with a leg

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