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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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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. suit — in cards
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. suit — clothes
  5. season — of the year
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bound — obliged
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. kick — in football
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bound — certain
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pitcher — a jug

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