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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cap — a hat
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — of ice
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. march — the month
  9. ball — a great time
  10. march — music
  11. squash — to crush
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. march — the month
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cap — a lid
  17. spell — magic
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. season — of the year
  22. craft — boats
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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