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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. saw — the tool
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bat — the animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to click
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. season — in sport
  21. scale — in music
  22. bore — to drill
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bore — gave birth

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