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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. drill — the tool
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. season — in sport
  5. face — to confront
  6. mark — a grade
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bank — for money
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mark — a trace
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bank — of a river
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bank — for money
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. toast — bread
  22. chair — a leader
  23. drill — army training
  24. deal — to handle

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