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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rush — hurry
  5. march — the month
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. season — in sport
  8. rash — a series
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rash — hasty
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. plane — in geometry

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