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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. season — in sport
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. season — of the year
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fall — the season
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. chest — a box
  19. rock — music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. chip — for betting
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. chest — of your body

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