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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. staff — employees
  3. mark — a trace
  4. season — of the year
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. object — to protest
  7. rock — music
  8. tube — a container
  9. mark — a grade
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. staff — employees
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. object — an aim
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rash — a series
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. object — a thing
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rock — a stone

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