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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.

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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: kick · fine · season · face · clip · foot · stem · race

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. season — of the year
  3. clip — a video
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. face — part of the head
  10. race — a contest
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. race — humankind
  16. clip — to cut
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. season — in sport
  19. kick — in football
  20. race — the arms race
  21. clip — for paper
  22. stem — to come from
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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