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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: board · season · perch · face · patient · sharp · spell · stand

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. face — to confront
  3. board — to get on
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. face — to point toward
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. spell — letters
  8. sharp — clever
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. face — part of the head
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — a short time
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spell — magic
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. board — a committee
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stand — to bear
  21. season — in sport
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. season — of the year
  24. sharp — exactly

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