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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. face — to point toward
  3. season — in sport
  4. land — to come down
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. face — to confront
  8. season — of the year
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. land — a country
  12. cue — a hint
  13. land — ground
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money

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