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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rash — hasty
  3. present — there
  4. dip — to sink
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. band — a ring
  8. present — the time now
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rash — a series
  11. season — of the year
  12. band — a music group
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. drill — the tool
  20. present — a gift
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. drill — army training
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. dip — a sauce

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