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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. fork — in a road
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. object — a thing
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. object — to protest
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. sharp — clever
  11. object — an aim
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cap — a hat
  14. face — part of the head
  15. cap — of ice
  16. season — of the year
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cold — not warm
  20. season — in sport
  21. pitch — completely
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. face — to confront

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