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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 120 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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. field — for sport
  3. mate — a partner
  4. can — a tin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. can — a tin
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. season — of the year
  9. mate — to breed
  10. field — farmland
  11. lie — to recline
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mate — a friend
  14. can — to be able to
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. chest — of your body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. field — a subject
  20. rush — hurry
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. season — in sport
  24. rush — to hurry

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