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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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. present — there
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stand — to bear
  10. present — the time now
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. charge — electricity
  13. face — to point toward
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fine — all right
  16. charge — in control
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. present — a gift
  19. face — part of the head
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. charge — a price
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. cap — of ice
  24. hide — animal skin

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