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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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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 · pass · suit · file · spring · content · foot · face

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. season — of the year
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. pass — a permit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. spring — the season
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. file — a tool
  14. face — to confront
  15. season — in sport
  16. file — a line of people
  17. foot — a measure
  18. content — the amount
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. file — a document
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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