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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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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. season — in sport
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mug — to rob
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. season — of the year
  13. track — a path
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — a cup
  16. face — to point toward
  17. march — music
  18. face — to confront
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. snap — to click
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. snap — to snap out of it

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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