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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. present — a gift
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mate — a friend
  9. present — the time now
  10. face — to confront
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. field — for sport
  15. cap — a lid
  16. field — a subject
  17. face — part of the head
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. present — there
  22. field — farmland
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. rash — a series

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