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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rash — a series
  5. spell — a short time
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. spell — magic
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. spell — letters
  10. capital — a city
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. capital — money
  21. season — in sport
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lie — an untruth

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