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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fine — high quality
  4. last — to go on
  5. present — a gift
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fall — to drop
  8. last — final
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. stock — shares
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stock — goods
  14. fall — to drop
  15. present — there
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fine — all right
  18. pass — a permit
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. present — the time now
  22. face — to confront
  23. last — finally
  24. stock — a soup base

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