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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · content · spring · squash · rest · stand · season · cue

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. content — happy
  3. rest — what's left
  4. file — a tool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. season — of the year
  7. file — a line of people
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. spring — the season
  10. file — a document
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rest — a break
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cue — for pool
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. squash — to crush
  18. spring — a coil
  19. season — in sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cue — a hint
  23. spring — of water
  24. content — the amount

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