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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. lie — to recline
  7. firm — decided
  8. season — in sport
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. root — the cause
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. firm — a company
  16. ground — a position
  17. root — of a word
  18. kick — in football
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. root — of a plant
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. firm — steady
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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