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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. season — in sport
  5. cold — an illness
  6. face — to point toward
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bear — the animal
  12. suit — in cards
  13. vault — a safe
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bear — the animal
  16. drill — army training
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cold — not warm
  21. drill — a practice
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. season — of the year

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