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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bear — the animal
  16. squash — the sport
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rush — hurry

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