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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — to handle
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rest — a break
  11. clip — for paper
  12. craft — boats
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. clip — to cut
  18. lean — thin
  19. season — of the year
  20. rest — what's left
  21. clip — a video
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rest — what's left
  24. craft — a skill

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