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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. last — final
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. face — to confront
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. face — to point toward
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bear — the animal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. season — in sport
  11. drill — army training
  12. last — finally
  13. cap — of ice
  14. season — of the year
  15. last — to go on
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bear — the animal
  18. drill — a practice
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. drill — the tool
  22. face — part of the head
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cap — a hat

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