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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. file — a document
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. file — a line of people
  8. face — to point toward
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. season — of the year
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. object — a thing
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. file — a tool

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