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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. face — to point toward
  3. saw — the tool
  4. season — in sport
  5. branch — a division
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mug — a cup
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. face — to confront
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. game — wild animals
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mark — a grade
  19. game — a match
  20. face — part of the head
  21. mug — a face
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mouse — for a computer

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