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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. craft — boats
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fine — high quality
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fine — all right
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. lean — to bend
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lean — thin
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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