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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. ground — the earth
  3. row — to paddle
  4. ball — a great time
  5. row — a line
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lean — thin
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. season — in sport
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rock — music
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ground — a position
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lean — to bend
  19. season — of the year
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. face — to confront
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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