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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rock — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ball — a dance
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. object — an aim
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mug — to rob
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. season — of the year
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. ball — a great time
  24. season — in sport

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