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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 124 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rash — hasty
  3. present — there
  4. spring — of water
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. suit — to fit
  7. spring — a coil
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. face — part of the head
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. suit — clothes
  14. present — a gift
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. face — to confront
  20. spring — the season
  21. rash — a series
  22. pop — music
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. present — the time now

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