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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. perch — the fish
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. field — a subject
  6. ball — a great time
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. swing — to play on
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ball — a dance
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. season — in sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. swing — in golf
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. season — of the year
  24. swing — music

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