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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. band — a music group
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fork — in a road
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. branch — a division
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. band — a ring
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. patient — a sick person

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