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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. race — the arms race
  6. season — of the year
  7. race — humankind
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. net — after costs
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mate — to breed
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mug — a cup
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mug — to rob
  18. race — a contest
  19. mug — a face
  20. face — to confront
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — a line
  24. mate — a friend

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