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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pop — soda
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cue — a signal
  11. sharp — clever
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cue — a hint
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. cue — for pool
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. season — of the year
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. face — part of the head

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