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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. capital — money
  5. snap — to click
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. craft — boats
  12. fine — all right
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. toast — bread
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. capital — a city
  17. fine — high quality
  18. face — to confront

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