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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. spring — the season
  3. rock — music
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rock — a stone
  6. spring — a coil
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pitch — completely
  13. present — a gift
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. face — to confront
  16. present — there
  17. spring — of water
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. present — the time now
  24. fan — a supporter

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