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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. present — there
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. can — a tin
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. season — in sport
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. can — a tin
  19. field — a subject
  20. season — of the year
  21. field — for sport
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. field — farmland
  24. nail — for a hammer

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