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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. season — of the year
  3. swing — to play on
  4. season — in sport
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bank — for money
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. shower — rain
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bank — for money
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. swing — music
  24. face — to confront

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