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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: season · squash · face · game · rest · foot · kid · lie

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rest — what's left
  4. foot — a measure
  5. face — to point toward
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. face — to confront
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. game — wild animals
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. squash — the sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. season — of the year
  17. rest — what's left
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. lie — to recline
  21. kid — child
  22. season — in sport
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rest — a break

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