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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stand — to bear
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. board — a committee
  8. season — of the year
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. content — happy
  14. board — to get on
  15. face — to confront
  16. court — of a king
  17. content — the amount
  18. season — in sport
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. face — part of the head

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