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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mate — to breed
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hand — in cards
  6. content — the amount
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. face — part of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. content — happy
  12. face — to point toward
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. face — to confront
  18. stem — to come from
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mate — a partner
  22. season — of the year
  23. hand — help
  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