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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. season — of the year
  4. net — after costs
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mug — a cup
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. swing — in golf
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. swing — music
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cold — not warm
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mug — to rob
  17. season — in sport
  18. cold — an illness
  19. net — in sport
  20. sharp — clever
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mug — a face
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. leaves — of a tree

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