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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. season — in sport
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. root — the cause
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bat — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. season — of the year
  18. root — of a word
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mine — for digging
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lie — an untruth

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