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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. face — to point toward
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. season — in sport
  7. face — to confront
  8. field — farmland
  9. deal — to handle
  10. field — for sport
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. field — a subject
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. tube — a container
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. face — part of the head
  24. court — for sport

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