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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: field · shower · spring · ball · safe · face · mate · season

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. field — for sport
  4. shower — rain
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. field — a subject
  8. ball — a dance
  9. field — farmland
  10. shower — to wash
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mate — a friend
  13. face — part of the head
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. spring — the season
  16. season — of the year
  17. face — to confront
  18. season — in sport
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. ball — a great time
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. face — to point toward

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