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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. season — of the year
  4. sharp — clever
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rock — a stone
  8. suit — in cards
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. spell — a short time
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mate — to breed
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rock — music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. suit — clothes
  20. season — in sport
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. spell — magic
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. sharp — with an edge

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