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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. plane — a tool
  11. lie — to recline
  12. suit — in cards
  13. season — in sport
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rock — a stone
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. suit — clothes
  18. net — for catching
  19. rock — music
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wind — moving air

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