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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 124 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. face — to point toward
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cue — a hint
  7. season — in sport
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. file — a document
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. season — of the year
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stem — to come from
  17. file — a line of people
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rock — a stone
  21. face — to confront
  22. cue — a signal
  23. toast — bread
  24. file — a tool

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