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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. kick — in football
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. face — to confront
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. stand — to bear
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. clip — for paper
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. clip — a video
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. clip — to cut
  24. coach — a trainer

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