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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: season · hide · mug · rock · chest · chair · rest · face

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rock — a stone
  5. face — to point toward
  6. chest — a box
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mug — a face
  10. face — part of the head
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chest — of your body
  14. face — to confront
  15. rest — a break
  16. chest — of your body
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. chair — a leader
  21. mug — to rob
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chair — a professorship

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