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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. can — a tin
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. game — a match
  8. can — a tin
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. firm — steady
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lie — to recline
  14. season — of the year
  15. game — wild animals
  16. foot — a measure
  17. season — in sport
  18. firm — a company
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. firm — decided
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. can — to be able to

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