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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. season — of the year
  7. saw — the tool
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ball — a great time
  12. saw — the tool
  13. dip — to sink
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ball — a dance
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. ruler — a monarch

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