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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rush — hurry
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rest — a break
  12. spell — magic
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. rest — what's left
  16. spell — letters
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spell — a short time
  23. kid — child
  24. march — 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