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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: bowl · racket · chair · toast · sharp · face · leaves · cap

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. chair — a leader
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. face — to confront
  7. cap — a hat
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. toast — bread
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cap — of ice
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. cap — a lid
  24. leaves — of a tree

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