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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. clip — for paper
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. can — to be able to
  6. face — to confront
  7. clip — a video
  8. chair — a leader
  9. clip — to cut
  10. ball — a dance
  11. face — to point toward
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. can — a tin
  14. bank — for money
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. ball — a great time
  17. season — in sport
  18. face — part of the head
  19. season — of the year
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bank — for money
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bank — of a river

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