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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 · season · date · mouse · kick · can · roll · hand

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hand — help
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. date — the fruit
  7. can — a tin
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. can — a tin
  12. season — in sport
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. kick — in football
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. hand — in cards
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. can — to be able to
  20. roll — a cake
  21. face — to point toward
  22. season — of the year
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. face — part of the head

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