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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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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 · chest · foot · ball · wave · rule · bay

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. rule — a law
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rule — government
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chest — a box
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. season — in sport
  12. chest — of your body
  13. season — of the year
  14. face — to confront
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. face — part of the head
  18. foot — a measure
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. face — to point toward

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