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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. spell — letters
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. spell — a short time
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. season — in sport
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spell — magic
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stock — shares
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stock — goods
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. patient — a sick person

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