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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. march — the month
  6. lie — to recline
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fork — in a road
  13. degree — temperature
  14. march — music
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. degree — an amount
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. degree — from a university
  19. march — the month
  20. season — of the year
  21. face — to confront
  22. season — in sport
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bowl — a football final

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