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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
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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: spell · suit · swing · season · field · stick · face · tear

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. spell — magic
  3. field — for sport
  4. swing — to play on
  5. face — to confront
  6. suit — clothes
  7. tear — from crying
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. face — to point toward
  11. tear — from crying
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. suit — to fit
  14. spell — letters
  15. tear — to rip
  16. season — in sport
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. suit — in cards
  20. spell — a short time
  21. season — of the year
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — a subject
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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