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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · face · fine · bay · band · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. face — to confront
  4. fine — high quality
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fine — all right
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. band — a ring
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. season — of the year
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. face — to point toward
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. band — a music group

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