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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.

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: bay · arm · last · bore · cabinet · face · season · suit

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. face — part of the head
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. last — to go on
  7. suit — to fit
  8. last — finally
  9. face — to confront
  10. season — of the year
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bore — to drill
  13. suit — in cards
  14. season — in sport
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. last — final
  20. suit — clothes
  21. face — to point toward
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cabinet — ministers

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