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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pop — to visit
  4. squash — the sport
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. season — in sport
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pop — soda
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pop — music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tube — a container
  17. squash — to crush
  18. season — of the year
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. swing — music
  21. lie — to recline
  22. swing — in golf
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. leaves — of a tree

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