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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rock — a stone
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. firm — a company
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. firm — steady
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. season — in sport
  18. firm — decided
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. season — of the year
  23. rock — music
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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