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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 120 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: mate · deal · rash · cap · pound · lie · season · spring

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rash — a series
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. spring — of water
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rash — hasty
  10. cap — a hat
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. season — of the year
  18. spring — a coil
  19. season — in sport
  20. cap — of ice
  21. deal — to handle
  22. spring — the season
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pound — a weight

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