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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. season — in sport
  12. swing — music
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fork — in a road
  15. cap — of ice
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wake — a trail
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cap — a lid
  24. swing — in golf

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