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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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. season — in sport
  4. spell — a short time
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. lie — to recline
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. march — the month
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. march — music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lean — thin
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. march — the month
  22. lean — to bend
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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