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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bore — to tire
  3. last — to go on
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. season — of the year
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wound — an injury
  10. last — final
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bore — to drill
  17. last — finally
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. season — in sport
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mate — to breed
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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