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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. face — part of the head
  3. game — wild animals
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. face — to confront
  11. lean — thin
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lean — to bend
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rush — hurry
  20. season — in sport
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. dip — to sink
  23. present — there
  24. game — a match

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