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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. row — a line
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. face — to confront
  9. wound — an injury
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wound — an injury
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. season — in sport
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. season — of the year
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. sharp — clever
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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