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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. spring — a coil
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pop — to visit
  6. current — electric
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. season — in sport
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. pop — soda
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. season — of the year
  18. face — to point toward
  19. current — of water
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. face — to confront
  22. race — a contest
  23. current — happening now
  24. pop — music

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