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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: squash · lie · field · season · safe · bound · key · hide

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lie — to recline
  4. squash — the sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. field — for sport
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. key — in music
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. season — of the year
  15. bound — certain
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bound — obliged
  18. season — in sport
  19. key — for a lock
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. bound — tied together
  24. season — to add flavour

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