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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. face — part of the head
  3. spell — magic
  4. season — of the year
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wind — moving air
  7. season — in sport
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. face — to point toward
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. face — to confront
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rock — music
  18. spell — letters
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. spell — a short time

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