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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. suit — in cards
  3. season — in sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. rash — hasty
  6. charge — electricity
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. field — farmland
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. field — for sport
  11. charge — a price
  12. lean — thin
  13. mate — a partner
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. charge — in control
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rash — a series
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mate — to breed

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