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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. content — happy
  4. saw — the tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. season — in sport
  7. current — electric
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. content — the amount
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. saw — the tool
  24. nail — for a hammer

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