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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. tear — from crying
  5. season — in sport
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rest — a break
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rest — what's left
  13. tear — to rip
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rush — hurry
  17. season — of the year
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rest — what's left
  24. tear — from crying

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