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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 120 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: mine · deal · mate · drill · season · arm · stick · suit

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. season — in sport
  5. mate — a friend
  6. deal — to handle
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mate — to breed
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. suit — to fit
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mine — for digging
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. drill — a practice
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. drill — army training
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mate — a partner
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. drill — the tool
  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