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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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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. kick — in football
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. season — in sport
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fine — all right
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rock — music
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. squash — the sport
  24. fine — high quality

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