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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. court — of law
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. season — in sport
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. can — a tin
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. can — a tin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. court — of a king
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. court — for sport
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. can — to be able to

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