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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. season — in sport
  3. fine — high quality
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cold — not warm
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cold — an illness
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. fine — all right
  19. season — of the year
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. season — to add flavour

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