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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. season — of the year
  3. spell — magic
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. spell — letters
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fine — high quality
  8. season — in sport
  9. fine — all right
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. lean — thin
  13. kid — to tease
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. snap — to click
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pitch — completely
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. arm — part of the body

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