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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pop — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. face — part of the head
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. fall — to drop
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pop — to visit
  17. season — in sport
  18. rest — a break
  19. pop — soda
  20. season — of the year
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fall — the season
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fall — to drop

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