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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. season — in sport
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. season — of the year
  11. present — there
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. chip — for betting
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. present — a gift
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chip — to eat

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