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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. rash — a series
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fine — high quality
  10. craft — boats
  11. fine — all right
  12. rush — hurry
  13. scale — in music
  14. staff — employees
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stem — to come from
  17. staff — employees
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. season — of the year
  23. staff — a stick
  24. season — in sport

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