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

Word bank: season · mate · rest · leaves · club · court · straw · snap

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mate — a friend
  4. club — a group
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. court — of law
  7. court — of a king
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rest — a break
  10. court — for sport
  11. season — in sport
  12. rest — what's left
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rest — what's left
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. snap — to click
  23. season — of the year
  24. leaves — of a tree

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