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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. land — a country
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. last — finally
  5. fall — to drop
  6. present — the time now
  7. last — to go on
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. land — to come down
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. present — a gift
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. land — ground
  21. season — in sport
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. present — there
  24. last — final

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