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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. season — of the year
  6. charge — in control
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — a price
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. spring — of water
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rock — music
  14. mate — a friend
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. season — in sport
  18. mug — a face
  19. charge — electricity
  20. spring — the season
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mate — to breed
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mate — a partner

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