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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: season · date · lie · hide · can · perch · bowl · face

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. date — the fruit
  5. face — to point toward
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. face — to confront
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. can — a tin
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. season — in sport
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. lie — to recline
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — part of the head
  20. perch — the fish
  21. season — of the year
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. perch — for a bird

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