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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 is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. deal — to handle
  4. face — part of the head
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. lie — to recline
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. face — to confront
  12. mine — for digging
  13. face — to point toward
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. track — to keep track
  16. kick — in football
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. track — a path
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. lie — an untruth

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