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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. saw — the tool
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. season — of the year
  12. face — part of the head
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wake — a trail
  15. saw — the tool
  16. season — in sport
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. face — to confront
  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