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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. face — to confront
  3. band — a music group
  4. kid — to tease
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. kid — child
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. season — of the year
  16. suit — clothes
  17. plane — a tool
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. chest — of your body
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. suit — to fit
  22. face — part of the head
  23. band — a ring
  24. suit — in cards

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