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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: face · cap · lean · tube · sharp · season · mug · chip

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cap — a lid
  4. face — to confront
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. season — of the year
  7. mug — a face
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mug — to rob
  10. sharp — clever
  11. face — part of the head
  12. chip — for betting
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lean — thin
  15. mug — a cup
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cap — a hat
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. lean — to bend
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. tube — the underground
  24. face — to point toward

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