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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 120 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: bear · spell · pass · face · chest · net · squash · spring

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. face — to confront
  5. spell — letters
  6. spring — the season
  7. spell — magic
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. net — in sport
  12. spell — a short time
  13. face — part of the head
  14. chest — a box
  15. net — after costs
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spring — of water
  18. chest — of your body
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. chest — of your body
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bear — the animal

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