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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 120 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: spell · mouse · current · temple · cell · face · pound · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. current — of water
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. face — to point toward
  7. cell — in biology
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spell — magic
  10. face — to confront
  11. pound — a weight
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. current — happening now
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. spell — letters
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. cell — a phone
  23. current — electric
  24. season — to add flavour

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