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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rest — a break
  4. key — for a lock
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cap — a lid
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rock — a stone
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rest — what's left
  12. key — in music
  13. season — in sport
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rest — what's left
  16. season — of the year
  17. rock — music
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. face — to confront
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. face — part of the head
  24. drill — army training

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