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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. key — in music
  5. board — to get on
  6. mark — a trace
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. key — for a lock
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. spring — the season
  16. chest — of your body
  17. spring — of water
  18. mark — a grade
  19. spring — a coil
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. chest — of your body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. board — a committee
  24. chest — a box

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