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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.

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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: dip · mine · season · bore · mug · face · squash · firm

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mug — a cup
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mug — a face
  11. season — in sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bore — to tire
  14. firm — a company
  15. dip — to sink
  16. squash — to crush
  17. firm — steady
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mug — to rob
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. season — of the year
  23. face — to point toward
  24. firm — decided

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