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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: spring · object · nail · sharp · scale · season · face · stand

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. sharp — clever
  3. face — to confront
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. spring — a coil
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. stand — to bear
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. season — of the year
  15. object — to protest
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. season — in sport
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. face — part of the head
  21. object — a thing
  22. face — to point toward
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. object — an aim

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