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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. spell — a short time
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lean — to bend
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mate — a friend
  12. squash — to crush
  13. spell — magic
  14. lean — thin
  15. season — in sport
  16. band — a music group
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pitch — completely
  21. band — a ring
  22. spell — letters
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pitch — a sports field

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