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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: season · present · tube · fan · firm · straw · lie · content

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. season — in sport
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. season — of the year
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. firm — a company
  8. content — happy
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. present — a gift
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tube — a container
  14. lie — to recline
  15. present — the time now
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. firm — decided
  19. present — there
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. firm — steady
  22. content — the amount
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tube — the underground

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