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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.

Make a worksheet

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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. mug — a face
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rash — hasty
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mug — to rob
  9. spell — letters
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rash — a series
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. spell — magic
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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