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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: pop · saw · stand · kick · tube · season · face · ball

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. ball — a great time
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. season — of the year
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. face — part of the head
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. season — in sport
  18. pop — music
  19. face — to point toward
  20. ball — a dance
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pop — to visit
  23. face — to confront
  24. pop — soda

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