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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.

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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rest — what's left
  3. net — for catching
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — after costs
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. swing — in golf
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. swing — music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. net — in sport
  20. swing — to play on
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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