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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. season — in sport
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stock — shares
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bear — the animal
  12. race — humankind
  13. shower — rain
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. season — of the year
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. race — the arms race
  23. face — to confront
  24. shower — to wash

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