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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. fine — all right
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bulb — for light
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. tube — the underground
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mug — a face
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mate — a partner
  21. tube — a container
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mate — a friend
  24. tube — in a tire

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