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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. degree — from a university
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cap — a hat
  7. degree — temperature
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. board — a committee
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. face — to confront
  16. degree — an amount
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — to get on
  19. season — in sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. hand — in cards

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