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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 120 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: face · board · mug · pop · spring · mate · season · wake

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pop — soda
  3. board — a committee
  4. mug — a face
  5. mate — a partner
  6. face — to point toward
  7. spring — a coil
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spring — of water
  10. season — of the year
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. spring — the season
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pop — to visit
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. face — to confront
  18. wake — a trail
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mate — a friend
  21. board — to get on
  22. pop — music
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. season — in sport

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