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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. can — a tin
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cell — a phone
  5. band — a ring
  6. kick — in football
  7. suit — to fit
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. suit — in cards
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. race — a contest
  14. cell — in biology
  15. band — a music group
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. deal — to handle
  19. race — the arms race
  20. season — in sport
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. race — humankind

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