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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · season · suit · saw · firm · lean

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. firm — a company
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bat — the animal
  10. firm — decided
  11. season — in sport
  12. lean — to bend
  13. season — of the year
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. firm — steady
  16. suit — to fit
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. saw — the tool

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