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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. march — the month
  3. lie — to recline
  4. deal — to handle
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. field — a subject
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. march — music
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. can — to be able to
  11. march — the month
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lean — to bend
  14. field — for sport
  15. lean — thin
  16. field — farmland
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. deal — an agreement
  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