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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. kid — child
  4. bass — the fish
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. kid — to tease
  13. season — in sport
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bass — low music
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lean — thin
  24. chest — a box

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