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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lean — thin
  3. fine — all right
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. face — to confront
  7. season — in sport
  8. lean — to bend
  9. squash — the sport
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. season — of the year
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. face — part of the head
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fine — a penalty

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