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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: squash · face · swing · land · bulb · season · roll · stand

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. face — to confront
  7. land — ground
  8. face — to point toward
  9. land — a country
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. season — in sport
  13. face — part of the head
  14. swing — to play on
  15. stand — to bear
  16. roll — a list
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bulb — for light
  19. season — of the year
  20. squash — the sport
  21. roll — a cake
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. land — to come down

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