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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. season — in sport
  4. suit — clothes
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. land — a country
  8. face — to confront
  9. land — to come down
  10. row — to paddle
  11. suit — to fit
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. suit — in cards
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. land — ground
  21. face — to point toward
  22. season — of the year
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pitcher — a jug

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