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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cap — a hat
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. file — a line of people
  16. cap — of ice
  17. face — to point toward
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. file — a document
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. file — a tool
  22. face — to confront
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cabinet — ministers

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