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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. suit — to fit
  8. hand — in cards
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fine — all right
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hand — help
  14. firm — a company
  15. mate — a friend
  16. suit — clothes
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. face — to point toward
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. firm — decided
  21. mark — a grade
  22. face — part of the head
  23. firm — steady
  24. hand — part of the body

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