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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. board — to get on
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. season — of the year
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. race — the arms race
  9. tear — from crying
  10. board — a committee
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. last — finally
  14. tear — to rip
  15. mug — a cup
  16. season — in sport
  17. last — to go on
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tear — from crying
  20. race — a contest
  21. mug — to rob
  22. last — final
  23. bulb — for light
  24. race — humankind

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