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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. last — to go on
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lean — thin
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. last — finally
  9. track — a song
  10. lean — to bend
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. season — of the year
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. track — a path
  18. craft — boats
  19. last — final
  20. wake — a trail
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fork — in a road
  24. hide — to keep secret

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