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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. season — in sport
  8. march — the month
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. season — of the year
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. march — the month
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. march — music
  18. face — part of the head
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. stem — to come from
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. face — to confront

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