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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. season — of the year
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. ball — a great time
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. shower — rain
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mark — a trace
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wound — an injury

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