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

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. present — the time now
  3. squash — to crush
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. season — in sport
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rest — a break
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. squash — the sport
  16. present — there
  17. rest — what's left
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. face — to point toward
  21. season — of the year
  22. clip — for paper
  23. present — a gift
  24. wave — of the sea

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