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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.

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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. firm — steady
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rest — a break
  6. mate — a friend
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. firm — a company
  13. field — a subject
  14. band — a music group
  15. season — of the year
  16. mate — a partner
  17. band — a ring
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. firm — decided
  21. mate — to breed
  22. fine — all right
  23. rest — what's left
  24. season — in sport

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