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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ground — a position
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. land — a country
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. land — ground
  14. kick — in football
  15. land — to come down
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. snap — to click
  18. season — in sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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