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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rock — music
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rush — hurry
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. season — of the year
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. rock — a stone
  17. kick — in football
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fine — all right
  21. ball — a dance
  22. fine — high quality
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. ball — a great time

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