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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. band — a music group
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. season — in sport
  8. kick — in football
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pit — in a race
  13. band — a ring
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pit — a hole
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. season — of the year

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