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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. season — in sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. shower — rain
  6. rest — a break
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rash — hasty
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. shower — to wash
  12. face — part of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hand — in cards
  16. season — of the year
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. hand — help
  23. face — to confront
  24. rest — what's left

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