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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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. spring — of water
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. lean — thin
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. face — part of the head
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. face — to confront
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. march — music
  16. stand — to bear
  17. spring — the season
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pitch — completely
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. march — the month

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