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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · row · arm · cap · coach · mark · face · season

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cap — a hat
  4. season — in sport
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. face — part of the head
  11. row — to paddle
  12. season — of the year
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mark — a trace
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. face — to confront
  17. row — a line
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cap — of ice
  24. season — to add flavour

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