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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.

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: lean · last · fine · spring · charge · drill · mate · season

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. last — to go on
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fine — high quality
  8. drill — a practice
  9. last — final
  10. drill — army training
  11. charge — electricity
  12. last — finally
  13. season — in sport
  14. charge — in control
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. spring — of water
  17. charge — a price
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. spring — the season
  21. mate — a partner
  22. drill — the tool
  23. season — of the year
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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