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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wind — moving air
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. season — in sport
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fine — all right
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bear — the animal
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fine — high quality
  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