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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.

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: season · last · tube · racket · object · lie · face · snap

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. object — a thing
  3. lie — to recline
  4. object — an aim
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. object — to protest
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. snap — to click
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. season — of the year
  13. last — final
  14. tube — a container
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. last — to go on
  17. face — to confront
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. season — in sport
  23. tube — the underground
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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