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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: fine · date · straw · rash · fan · face · dip · season

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. season — in sport
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. season — of the year
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. face — to point toward
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fine — all right
  14. date — the fruit
  15. dip — to sink
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rash — a series
  21. fine — high quality
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rash — hasty

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