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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — happening now
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. face — part of the head
  8. current — of water
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fine — all right
  11. season — in sport
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. face — to confront
  14. current — electric
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. face — to point toward
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. scale — in music
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fine — high quality

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