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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: ball · season · craft · face · mate · chair · can · spell

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. spell — magic
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mate — to breed
  7. can — to be able to
  8. craft — a skill
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. spell — letters
  15. season — in sport
  16. spell — a short time
  17. mate — a friend
  18. craft — boats
  19. can — a tin
  20. ball — a dance
  21. can — a tin
  22. season — of the year
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ball — a great time

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