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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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. face — part of the head
  3. snap — to click
  4. season — of the year
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. ball — a great time
  8. march — the month
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. ball — a dance
  14. season — in sport
  15. craft — boats
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. lie — to recline
  19. craft — a skill
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bound — certain
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. lie — an untruth

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