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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. track — a song
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kick — in football
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. shower — to wash
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. track — to keep track
  15. kid — child
  16. season — in sport
  17. kid — to tease
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. track — a path
  21. craft — boats
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. shower — rain
  24. craft — a skill

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