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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: season · race · straw · lie · pitch · charge · ball · lean

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. lie — to recline
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. race — humankind
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. charge — in control

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