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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mate — a friend
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. last — to go on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. last — finally
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. last — final
  14. mate — to breed
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mate — a partner
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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