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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bound — certain
  4. season — of the year
  5. pass — a permit
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bass — the fish
  10. tear — from crying
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bound — obliged
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tear — to rip
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bass — low music
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. tear — from crying

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