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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 120 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. season — of the year
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. can — a tin
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. clip — a video
  11. can — a tin
  12. season — in sport
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pass — a permit
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. charge — a price
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. can — to be able to
  22. charge — in control
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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