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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. wound — an injury
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pit — in a race
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pit — a hole
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wound — an injury
  13. last — finally
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. last — to go on
  17. lie — to recline
  18. season — in sport
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. last — final
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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