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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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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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. season — in sport
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. suit — clothes
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. squash — to crush
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. suit — to fit
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. suit — in cards
  17. chair — a leader
  18. squash — the sport
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. temple — a place of worship

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