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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rush — hurry
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. lean — thin
  7. season — of the year
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. content — the amount
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. lean — to bend
  17. band — a ring
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. band — a music group
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. content — happy
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. lean — to rest against

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