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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fine — all right
  5. kick — in football
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. squash — to crush
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. hand — help
  16. squash — the sport
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fine — high quality
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. snap — to click
  22. foot — a measure
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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