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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. clip — a video
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. clip — for paper
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. season — in sport
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wax — to grow
  19. lean — thin
  20. season — of the year
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. clip — to cut
  24. lean — to rest against

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