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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. face — to confront
  8. band — a ring
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pitch — completely
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cap — a lid
  15. band — a music group
  16. chair — a leader
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cap — a hat

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