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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. hand — in cards
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. kick — in football
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. season — in sport
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. suit — in cards
  13. spell — magic
  14. squash — the sport
  15. spell — a short time
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. suit — clothes
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. face — to confront
  21. hand — help
  22. squash — to crush
  23. spell — letters
  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