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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cell — in biology
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ball — a great time
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mate — a friend
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mate — to breed
  13. ball — a dance
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cell — a phone
  16. key — in music
  17. suit — to fit
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. season — in sport
  20. suit — clothes
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mate — a partner

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