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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rash · lie · deal · season · mate · content · clip · rock

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. mate — a friend
  5. season — of the year
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. clip — to cut
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. lie — to recline
  10. season — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — a video
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mate — to breed
  16. content — the amount
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rash — a series
  19. deal — to handle
  20. clip — for paper
  21. content — happy
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rash — hasty

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