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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rest — a break
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pit — a hole
  7. net — after costs
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. season — in sport
  10. rest — what's left
  11. net — for catching
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. season — of the year
  15. degree — an amount
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. net — in sport
  18. rock — music
  19. degree — temperature
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rest — what's left
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. degree — from a university
  24. lie — an untruth

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