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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: roll · mate · bear · bat · hand · current · face · season

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. face — to point toward
  2. mate — to breed
  3. season — in sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. face — part of the head
  6. roll — a cake
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. current — happening now
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. roll — a list
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bear — the animal
  15. current — of water
  16. season — of the year
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. face — to confront
  20. current — electric
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mate — a partner
  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