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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rest — what's left
  5. season — of the year
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mark — a grade
  9. root — of a word
  10. rest — a break
  11. face — to confront
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. root — the cause
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mate — a friend
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. season — in sport
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. root — of a plant
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mate — a partner

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