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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cue — for pool
  5. season — in sport
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cue — a hint
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bound — certain
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. season — of the year
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. straw — a straw man

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