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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cold — an illness
  4. saw — the tool
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lean — thin
  9. key — in music
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stock — shares
  13. key — the most important part
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cold — not warm
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. season — in sport
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stock — goods
  23. season — of the year
  24. rock — music

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