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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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Word bank
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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: lean · season · mate · content · fan · stick · mark · race

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mark — a grade
  3. lean — to bend
  4. race — the arms race
  5. season — in sport
  6. race — humankind
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mate — to breed
  10. race — a contest
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mark — a trace
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lean — thin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. content — the amount
  18. mate — a friend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. content — happy
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mate — a partner
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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