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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. last — final
  3. season — in sport
  4. firm — a company
  5. clip — a video
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pit — in a race
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. last — finally
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. clip — to cut
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. firm — steady
  19. last — to go on
  20. firm — decided
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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