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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · face · game · kid · mine · key · temple · leaves

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. key — for a lock
  6. face — to confront
  7. season — of the year
  8. kid — to tease
  9. key — in music
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. face — to point toward
  14. kid — child
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. game — wild animals
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. face — part of the head
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. game — a match

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