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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lean — to bend
  6. present — there
  7. key — the most important part
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. season — of the year
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. season — in sport
  14. lean — thin
  15. pit — in a race
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. present — a gift
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. key — in music
  21. present — the time now
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pit — a hole

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