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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. season — in sport
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rule — government
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. season — of the year
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. face — to confront
  16. bat — the animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. face — part of the head
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. racket — for tennis

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