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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. face — to point toward
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. saw — the tool
  10. season — in sport
  11. key — in music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. face — to confront
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. key — the most important part
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. saw — the tool
  21. key — for a lock
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bowl — to roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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