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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 116 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. season — in sport
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. track — a path
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. kick — in football
  12. spell — a short time
  13. drill — army training
  14. lie — to recline
  15. spell — letters
  16. track — a song
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. tear — from crying
  19. season — of the year
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. spell — magic
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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