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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: tube · face · cell · root · mate · season · nail · march

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mate — to breed
  3. root — the cause
  4. mate — a friend
  5. tube — a container
  6. cell — a phone
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. season — in sport
  9. march — music
  10. face — to confront
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cell — in biology
  15. face — part of the head
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mate — a partner
  18. face — to point toward
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cell — in a prison

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