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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. ground — a position
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. face — part of the head
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. content — the amount
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. season — in sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. face — to confront
  20. content — happy
  21. ball — a dance
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. season — of the year

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