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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. suit — in cards
  6. roll — a cake
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. suit — clothes
  13. degree — temperature
  14. lean — thin
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. season — in sport
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pop — soda
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pop — music
  22. lean — to bend
  23. suit — to fit
  24. roll — a list

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