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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. 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. last — final
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. ground — the earth
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. face — part of the head
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. last — to go on
  11. face — to point toward
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. ball — a great time
  17. last — finally
  18. ground — a position
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ball — a dance
  24. 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