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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. game — wild animals
  3. face — to confront
  4. season — in sport
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. season — of the year
  10. board — to get on
  11. rash — a series
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rash — hasty
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cell — in biology
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. game — a match
  24. board — a committee

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