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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. track — to keep track
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. face — to confront
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. squash — the sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — to point toward
  15. kick — in football
  16. track — a path
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bat — the animal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. track — a song
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bat — in an idiom

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