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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. face — to confront
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. content — happy
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. face — to point toward
  9. content — the amount
  10. suit — to fit
  11. season — in sport
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. toast — bread
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. suit — in cards
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. trunk — of a tree

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