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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 · temple · straw · saw · squash · lie · track · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lie — to recline
  3. track — a song
  4. squash — to crush
  5. spell — letters
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. spell — magic
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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