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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · bore · mate · bass · last · lie · mug · season

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. season — of the year
  4. last — finally
  5. bass — low music
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bass — the fish
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. mug — a face
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mate — to breed
  17. last — final
  18. season — in sport
  19. last — to go on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. land — a country
  24. mug — to rob

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