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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. season — in sport
  3. cap — a hat
  4. season — of the year
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lie — to recline
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cap — of ice
  10. lean — thin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spring — of water
  13. field — farmland
  14. rule — a law
  15. field — a subject
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. rule — government
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cap — a lid
  24. lie — an untruth

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