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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cell — in biology
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bear — the animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. face — part of the head
  13. kick — in football
  14. fall — to drop
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. face — to confront
  19. cell — a phone
  20. fall — the season
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. season — of the year

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