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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mug — a cup
  9. kid — child
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. season — of the year
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. board — to get on
  17. rest — what's left
  18. suit — in cards
  19. sharp — clever
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. suit — clothes
  23. spell — magic
  24. board — a committee

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