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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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. rule — government
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. shower — rain
  6. net — in sport
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. net — for catching
  10. pop — music
  11. net — after costs
  12. present — a gift
  13. pop — soda
  14. present — there
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pass — a permit
  20. rule — a law
  21. season — in sport
  22. pop — to visit
  23. present — the time now
  24. season — of the year

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