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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: bulb · spring · lie · bowl · firm · racket · chest · season

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chest — a box
  4. season — in sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. season — of the year
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bulb — for light
  16. firm — decided
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. spring — the season
  19. firm — a company
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lie — to recline

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