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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mark — a trace
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. season — of the year
  5. hand — help
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. season — in sport
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mark — a grade
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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