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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 116 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
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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: row · face · bowl · mate · bay · net · season · lie

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. face — to point toward
  4. net — in sport
  5. face — to confront
  6. net — after costs
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mate — to breed
  20. face — part of the head
  21. lie — to recline
  22. net — for catching
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bowl — a football final

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