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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bank — for money
  3. season — of the year
  4. face — to confront
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitch — completely
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bank — for money
  12. scale — in music
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rest — what's left
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rest — a break
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bank — of a river
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bound — certain
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. scale — for weighing
  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