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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pass — a permit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. field — farmland
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. lean — thin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. club — a group
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. field — a subject
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mate — to breed
  16. field — for sport
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. club — for golf
  22. mate — a friend
  23. club — for dancing
  24. nail — on a finger

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