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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. staff — employees
  4. face — to point toward
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. staff — employees
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rest — what's left
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. rest — what's left
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. staff — a stick
  19. season — in sport
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. season — of the year
  24. rest — a break

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