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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. track — a path
  3. court — of law
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. face — part of the head
  7. court — of a king
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. court — for sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. staff — a stick
  14. march — the month
  15. track — to keep track
  16. firm — a company
  17. march — music
  18. staff — employees
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. track — a song
  21. saw — the tool
  22. march — the month
  23. face — to point toward
  24. staff — employees

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