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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. can — a tin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. can — to be able to
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chip — for betting
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. can — a tin
  12. season — of the year
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. season — in sport
  19. lie — to recline
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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