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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rest — what's left
  5. capital — money
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. rest — what's left
  8. season — in sport
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. lean — thin
  16. capital — a city
  17. rest — a break
  18. season — of the year
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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