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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. season — in sport
  3. branch — a division
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mark — a grade
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lie — to recline
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. row — a line
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. season — of the year
  24. fine — high quality

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