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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. season — in sport
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. season — of the year
  6. fine — all right
  7. lie — to recline
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. toast — bread
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. fine — high quality
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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