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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. face — part of the head
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mate — a partner
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rule — a law
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. bulb — for light
  11. face — to point toward
  12. content — the amount
  13. stand — to bear
  14. face — to confront
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. content — happy
  18. rule — government
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stand — for spectators

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