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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bound — tied together
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bound — obliged
  9. tube — a container
  10. wound — an injury
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. present — the time now
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bound — certain
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. face — part of the head
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. season — in sport
  20. wound — an injury
  21. face — to point toward
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. face — to confront
  24. tube — the underground

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