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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spell · fine · cabinet · face · spring · staff · lash

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. staff — employees
  7. face — part of the head
  8. spell — letters
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fine — all right
  12. face — to confront
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. staff — a stick
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. staff — employees
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. spring — the season

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