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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. season — of the year
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. season — in sport
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wave — with your hand

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