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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. march — the month
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. season — of the year
  6. last — finally
  7. swing — in golf
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rock — music
  10. march — music
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. swing — to play on
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rock — a stone
  18. season — in sport
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. saw — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. march — the month
  24. swing — music

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