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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.

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: net · season · jam · rock · snap · bowl · temple · face

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. rock — a stone
  9. face — part of the head
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. net — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. face — to confront
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. snap — to click
  22. season — in sport
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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