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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 124 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. can — to be able to
  6. row — a line
  7. last — finally
  8. row — to paddle
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. capital — money
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. last — final
  16. can — a tin
  17. last — to go on
  18. capital — a city
  19. season — in sport
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. season — of the year
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. capital — a big letter

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