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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. season — in sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. bound — certain
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. season — of the year
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. scale — in music
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bound — obliged
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. face — to confront
  18. scale — size or range
  19. staff — a stick
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. staff — employees
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. staff — employees
  24. bound — tied together

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