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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. season — in sport
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. season — of the year
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bat — the animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lie — to recline
  24. foot — the bottom

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