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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. field — farmland
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wind — moving air
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. suit — clothes
  19. field — a subject
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wind — moving air
  22. field — for sport
  23. suit — to fit
  24. fine — high quality

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