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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 120 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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. spell — letters
  6. firm — decided
  7. fine — all right
  8. season — of the year
  9. firm — steady
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. saw — the tool
  13. club — for golf
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fine — high quality
  17. firm — a company
  18. club — for dancing
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lean — thin
  21. club — a group
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chest — a box
  24. season — in 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