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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. field — a subject
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. season — in sport
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. season — of the year
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bulb — for light
  17. current — electric
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. field — farmland
  21. foot — a measure
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. field — for sport
  24. rock — music

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