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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 116 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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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. spell — magic
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. spell — a short time
  8. game — wild animals
  9. spell — letters
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fine — high quality
  12. game — a match
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. ground — the earth
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. season — in sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. game — a kind of play

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