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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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468
Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. season — of the year
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. snap — to click
  4. present — a gift
  5. season — in sport
  6. present — there
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. chair — a leader
  11. deal — to handle
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. present — the time now
  14. content — happy
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. content — the amount
  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