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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. content — the amount
  7. march — the month
  8. face — to confront
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. season — in sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. face — to point toward
  13. content — happy
  14. bank — for money
  15. toast — bread
  16. foot — a measure
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. march — the month
  20. face — part of the head
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bank — of a river
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. march — music

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