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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. season — in sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. squash — to crush
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. track — to keep track
  8. lie — to recline
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. last — final
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. squash — the sport
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. last — finally
  23. season — of the year
  24. last — to go on

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