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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. ball — a dance
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mate — a friend
  8. prune — to trim
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mate — a partner
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. season — in sport
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mate — to breed
  18. snap — to click
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ball — a great time
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. prune — the fruit

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