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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. board — to get on
  3. present — there
  4. season — in sport
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. face — to point toward
  12. season — of the year
  13. fine — all right
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fine — high quality
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. face — to confront
  19. board — a committee
  20. face — part of the head
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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