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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. season — in sport
  4. spring — of water
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chip — to eat
  9. face — to point toward
  10. spring — the season
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mark — a trace
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rash — a series
  17. face — part of the head
  18. can — to be able to
  19. season — of the year
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rash — hasty
  22. face — to confront
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. season — to add flavour

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