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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. can — a tin
  3. season — in sport
  4. field — for sport
  5. board — to get on
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. season — of the year
  9. staff — a stick
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. can — a tin
  15. row — to paddle
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. board — a committee
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. field — a subject
  23. face — to confront
  24. field — farmland

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