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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. object — to protest
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. capital — money
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. can — a tin
  9. object — a thing
  10. capital — a city
  11. bank — of a river
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bank — for money
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bank — for money
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. staff — employees
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. object — an aim
  23. face — to confront
  24. season — in sport

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