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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. deal — to handle
  4. charge — a price
  5. face — to point toward
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. charge — in control
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. season — in sport
  12. stand — to bear
  13. face — part of the head
  14. charge — electricity
  15. face — to confront
  16. last — final
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. march — music
  20. club — a group
  21. last — finally
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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