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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: present · season · cabinet · ball · wake · shower · arm · face

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. season — of the year
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. season — in sport
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. face — part of the head
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. present — a gift
  14. ball — a dance
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. present — the time now
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. present — there
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. shower — rain
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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