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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rest — what's left
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wind — moving air
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bass — low music
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bass — the fish
  17. face — to confront
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rest — a break
  21. season — in sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. season — of the year
  24. fine — all right

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