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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. season — in sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. season — of the year
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. key — for a lock
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bound — obliged
  13. last — finally
  14. key — in music
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. key — the most important part
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stand — to bear
  20. lie — to recline
  21. last — final
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. kick — in football

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