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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. season — of the year
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spring — of water
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. board — a committee
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. board — to get on
  11. squash — the sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. kid — child
  14. squash — to crush
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. spring — a coil
  17. firm — decided
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. spring — the season
  24. season — in sport

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