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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mug — a cup
  3. face — to confront
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mug — a face
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. face — part of the head
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. tear — to rip
  14. season — of the year
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — a phone
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stand — to bear

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