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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. season — of the year
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. suit — clothes
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. season — in sport
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wake — a trail
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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