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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. march — the month
  3. fine — all right
  4. face — to confront
  5. fine — high quality
  6. suit — to fit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bulb — for light
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. march — the month
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. march — music
  15. shower — rain
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lie — to recline
  20. face — part of the head
  21. shower — to wash
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wake — a trail
  24. face — to point toward

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