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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 · land · present · wake · season · arm · pass · game

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. face — to confront
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. season — in sport
  7. land — to come down
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. present — there
  11. land — a country
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. land — ground
  14. face — to point toward
  15. season — of the year
  16. face — part of the head
  17. game — wild animals
  18. present — a gift
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. present — the time now
  21. game — a match
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wake — before a funeral

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