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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bulb · season · lie · face · present · mug · deal · root

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. season — of the year
  4. present — the time now
  5. bulb — for light
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mug — to rob
  10. season — in sport
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. face — to point toward
  13. root — of a word
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. present — a gift
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mug — a cup
  20. face — to confront
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. present — there
  23. lie — to recline
  24. root — the cause

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