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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. snap — to click
  10. bear — the animal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. saw — the tool
  16. shower — to wash
  17. chip — to eat
  18. shower — rain
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rash — a series
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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