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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: face · spell · last · staff · jam · pit · season · bore

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. spell — magic
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. last — finally
  5. season — of the year
  6. spell — letters
  7. bore — to drill
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. face — part of the head
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. face — to confront
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. last — to go on
  17. spell — a short time
  18. season — in sport
  19. staff — employees
  20. last — final
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bore — to tire

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