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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.

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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: mug · jam · face · spring · season · lean · field · ball

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mug — a cup
  3. season — in sport
  4. face — to confront
  5. spring — a coil
  6. field — farmland
  7. mug — a face
  8. spring — of water
  9. mug — to rob
  10. face — part of the head
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. spring — the season
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. season — of the year
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. lean — thin
  18. ball — a great time
  19. field — a subject
  20. lean — to bend
  21. face — to point toward
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. field — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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