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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 120 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. charge — electricity
  4. season — of the year
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bound — obliged
  8. land — to come down
  9. lean — to bend
  10. land — ground
  11. charge — a price
  12. lean — thin
  13. ground — a position
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bound — tied together
  16. land — a country
  17. bound — certain
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — in sport
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. charge — in control

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