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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kid — child
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rest — a break
  9. ground — the earth
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. season — in sport
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. season — of the year
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. ground — a position
  19. kid — to tease
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bowl — a dish
  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