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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cue — for pool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. ball — a dance
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. season — in sport
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cue — a signal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rash — a series
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ground — crushed
  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