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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. board — a committee
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. season — of the year
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. can — to be able to
  16. board — to get on
  17. cap — of ice
  18. season — in sport
  19. cap — a hat
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. cap — a lid

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