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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.

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: bound · season · present · lie · chair · mouse · field · lash

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. field — for sport
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. present — there
  7. bound — certain
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. field — a subject
  12. present — the time now
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. field — farmland
  20. season — of the year
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. season — in sport
  24. present — a gift

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