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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bass — low music
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. season — in sport
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. kid — child
  8. season — of the year
  9. staff — employees
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. kid — to tease
  14. face — part of the head
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. staff — a stick
  20. tear — to rip
  21. face — to point toward
  22. staff — employees
  23. face — to confront
  24. bear — the animal

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