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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. spring — the season
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pass — a permit
  7. spring — a coil
  8. face — to confront
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. face — part of the head
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. suit — clothes
  17. season — in sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. suit — in cards
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. face — to point toward
  24. spring — of water

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