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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.

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: bat · rash · leaves · board · season · deal · mate · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. season — in sport
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mate — a friend
  9. season — of the year
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bat — the animal
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — a series
  19. mate — a partner
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. board — to get on
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. board — a committee

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