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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rest — what's left
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rest — a break
  7. mug — a cup
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cap — a hat
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. chest — a box
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. face — to confront
  20. mug — to rob
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cap — a lid
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mug — a face

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