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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mug — to rob
  4. season — in sport
  5. bound — obliged
  6. face — to confront
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bound — certain
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cap — a lid
  13. game — wild animals
  14. face — part of the head
  15. season — of the year
  16. mug — a face
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. game — a match
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cap — a hat
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wake — a trail
  24. game — a kind of play

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