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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. staff — employees
  5. season — of the year
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. snap — to click
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lean — thin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. season — in sport
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. staff — employees
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wake — a trail
  19. staff — a stick
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. nail — for a hammer

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