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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. suit — to fit
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. suit — clothes
  5. sharp — clever
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. file — a line of people
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. season — in sport
  13. file — a document
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. object — a thing
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. file — a tool
  21. deal — to handle
  22. suit — in cards
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. trunk — of a tree

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