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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. cell — in a prison
  2. season — of the year
  3. present — there
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. present — a gift
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. drill — army training
  8. rock — music
  9. kick — in football
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. present — the time now
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. shower — to wash
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rock — a stone
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cell — a phone
  22. drill — the tool
  23. cell — in biology
  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