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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. season — in sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. key — for a lock
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cold — not warm
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. season — of the year
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stock — shares
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stock — goods
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cold — an illness

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