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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rash — hasty
  5. season — of the year
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. board — to get on
  12. bound — obliged
  13. season — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. board — a committee
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. net — after costs
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rash — a series
  22. lie — to recline
  23. net — in sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

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