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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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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — to cut
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. clip — a video
  8. season — of the year
  9. suit — in cards
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wound — an injury
  18. season — in sport
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. fan — a supporter

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