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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · swing · race · lie · can · mug · season · fan

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cell — in biology
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. swing — to play on
  8. mug — a face
  9. race — the arms race
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. swing — in golf
  13. race — humankind
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cell — a phone
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. race — a contest
  18. can — a tin
  19. mug — a cup
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. can — to be able to
  22. season — in sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. swing — music

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