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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cold — an illness
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cue — for pool
  7. season — in sport
  8. board — a committee
  9. cue — a hint
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. capital — a city
  16. face — part of the head
  17. season — of the year
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. capital — money
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. face — to confront
  22. cue — a signal
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. board — to get on

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