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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. object — an aim
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rush — hurry
  11. object — to protest
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. object — a thing
  17. season — of the year
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. charge — in control
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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