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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. sharp — clever
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. season — of the year
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. season — in sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fan — to cool the air

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