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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. season — of the year
  4. bass — low music
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. face — to point toward
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. cell — a phone
  11. mark — a trace
  12. face — to confront
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. season — in sport
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mark — a grade
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cell — in biology

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