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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · season · toast · lie · board · cap · face · stock

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. board — a committee
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. face — to confront
  9. board — to get on
  10. lie — to recline
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. face — to point toward
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. toast — bread
  21. stock — goods
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. face — part of the head
  24. hide — animal skin

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