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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stock — goods
  4. can — a tin
  5. face — to confront
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. lie — to recline
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mark — a trace
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stock — shares
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mark — a grade
  24. can — a tin

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