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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wind — moving air
  6. face — to confront
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wind — moving air
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mate — a friend
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fine — all right
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mate — a partner
  21. perch — the fish
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fine — high quality
  24. season — 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