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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. season — of the year
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. season — in sport
  10. mate — to breed
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wind — moving air
  16. field — for sport
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bass — the fish
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bass — low music
  24. rush — to hurry

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