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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: nail · wind · bear · fine · spring · squash · lie · season

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. lie — to recline
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spring — the season
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. squash — the sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wind — moving air
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fine — all right
  17. season — in sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. squash — to crush
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. spring — of water
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fine — a penalty

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