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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. squash — to crush
  5. ground — a position
  6. bank — of a river
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. season — in sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bank — for money
  12. court — for sport
  13. shower — to wash
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. staff — a stick
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. shower — rain
  18. court — of law
  19. ground — crushed
  20. court — of a king
  21. ground — the earth
  22. season — of the year
  23. bank — for money
  24. squash — the sport

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