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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. face — part of the head
  3. content — the amount
  4. can — to be able to
  5. season — of the year
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. can — a tin
  15. content — happy
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mine — for digging
  18. spell — magic
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. face — to point toward
  22. can — a tin
  23. face — to confront
  24. bound — tied together

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