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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bound — certain
  3. scale — size or range
  4. face — to point toward
  5. chair — a leader
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. face — to confront
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. season — in sport
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bound — obliged
  21. scale — in music
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stem — to come from

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