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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. face — to confront
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rock — a stone
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. season — in sport
  11. game — a match
  12. cap — a hat
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cap — a lid
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rock — music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. ruler — for measuring

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