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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fine — all right
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fine — high quality
  6. march — music
  7. squash — to crush
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. march — the month
  11. face — to confront
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. march — the month

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