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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. content — happy
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. lean — thin
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. staff — a stick
  10. content — the amount
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. staff — employees
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. staff — employees
  17. present — there
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wound — an injury
  20. present — the time now
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. present — a gift
  23. toast — bread
  24. season — in sport

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