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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lean — thin
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. season — of the year
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. board — to get on
  12. lean — to bend
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. lie — to recline
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bear — the animal
  20. board — a committee
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pitch — completely

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