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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wind — moving air
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cap — of ice
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. present — the time now
  10. face — to confront
  11. wind — moving air
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. face — part of the head
  14. suit — to fit
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. present — there
  18. cap — a hat
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cap — a lid
  21. present — a gift
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. game — a match
  24. face — to point toward

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