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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 · face · wave · cap · root · bear · bowl · staff

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bear — the animal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. face — to confront
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. cap — a hat
  13. root — of a word
  14. cap — of ice
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bear — the animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. root — the cause
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bear — to put up with

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