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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. club — for dancing
  5. lean — thin
  6. face — to confront
  7. lean — to bend
  8. track — a song
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. track — a path
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rush — hurry
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. face — part of the head
  24. track — to keep track

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