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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. track — a song
  5. race — a contest
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lean — to bend
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. track — a path
  10. face — to confront
  11. track — to keep track
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cap — a hat
  14. race — the arms race
  15. staff — a stick
  16. lean — thin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cap — a lid
  19. season — in sport
  20. cap — of ice
  21. perch — the fish
  22. race — humankind
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. face — part of the head

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