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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lie — to recline
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bank — of a river
  7. season — of the year
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bank — for money
  11. season — in sport
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bank — for money
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bass — low 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