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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. season — of the year
  3. lie — to recline
  4. current — of water
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. scale — in music
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. season — in sport
  12. branch — a division
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. toast — bread
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. current — happening now
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. scale — size or range
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. current — electric

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