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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.

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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: mate · rest · stick · wind · pound · season · fork · suit

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mate — to breed
  4. season — in sport
  5. suit — in cards
  6. season — of the year
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wind — moving air
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wind — to turn a key

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