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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. march — the month
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. face — part of the head
  9. march — music
  10. face — to confront
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bat — the animal
  14. can — a tin
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. can — a tin
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. march — the month
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. stand — on your feet

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