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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 116 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: scale · spell · bound · lean · pit · calf · season · lie

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. season — of the year
  6. bound — tied together
  7. season — in sport
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. scale — size or range
  12. lean — thin
  13. pit — a hole
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. spell — magic
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. scale — in music
  24. bound — certain

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