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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: face · can · season · foot · pound · temple · track · mate

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. season — in sport
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. face — to confront
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. season — of the year
  12. face — to point toward
  13. can — a tin
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pound — a weight
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mate — a friend
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. track — a path
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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