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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mine — for digging
  3. season — in sport
  4. last — final
  5. suit — in cards
  6. last — finally
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. season — of the year
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stock — shares
  18. suit — to fit
  19. face — to confront
  20. stock — goods
  21. rush — hurry
  22. face — part of the head
  23. last — to go on
  24. rush — to hurry

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