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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. roll — a cake
  3. fine — high quality
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. hand — help
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bank — of a river
  11. roll — a list
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fine — all right
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. tube — the underground
  19. season — in sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bank — for money
  24. hand — in cards

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