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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: face · pitcher · jam · dip · toast · fall · rule · season

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rule — government
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fall — the season
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. dip — to sink
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. season — of the year
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — bread
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. fall — to drop
  15. season — in sport
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. face — to confront
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. face — to point toward
  24. dip — to dunk

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