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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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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. face — to point toward
  3. spring — a coil
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. season — of the year
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spring — of water
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. face — to confront
  15. season — in sport
  16. charge — a price
  17. lean — thin
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rush — hurry
  22. charge — in control
  23. lean — to bend
  24. face — part of the head

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