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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. degree — from a university
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. lean — to bend
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. toast — bread
  13. degree — an amount
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. suit — in cards
  18. lean — thin
  19. rush — hurry
  20. suit — to fit
  21. degree — temperature
  22. suit — clothes
  23. saw — the tool
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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