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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. current — happening now
  3. face — to confront
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. season — of the year
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. sharp — clever
  8. kick — in football
  9. saw — the tool
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. stand — to bear
  15. current — electric
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. current — of water

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