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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 116 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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. face — to confront
  4. scale — in music
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. face — to point toward
  8. content — the amount
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. face — part of the head
  12. content — happy
  13. scale — size or range
  14. spring — a coil
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. craft — a skill
  23. charge — electricity
  24. craft — boats

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