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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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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. season — in sport
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. charge — in control
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. season — of the year
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bat — the animal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fine — all right
  16. charge — a price
  17. mate — a partner
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mate — a friend
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. season — to add flavour

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