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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rash — hasty
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — a series
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. saw — the tool
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cap — a lid
  15. face — to point toward
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bear — the animal
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bear — the animal
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. season — of the year
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. ball — a dance

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