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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. bound — tied together
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. hand — help
  11. kid — child
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lean — thin
  14. bound — obliged
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. object — to protest
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bound — certain
  24. nail — on a finger

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