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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mug — to rob
  4. shower — to wash
  5. face — part of the head
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. sharp — clever
  8. season — of the year
  9. net — after costs
  10. pit — a hole
  11. season — in sport
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. net — for catching
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. shower — rain
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mug — a cup
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mug — a face
  23. face — to confront
  24. net — in sport

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