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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stock — goods
  4. board — to get on
  5. current — happening now
  6. stock — shares
  7. bass — low music
  8. board — a committee
  9. face — to point toward
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. current — of water
  15. bass — the fish
  16. squash — the sport
  17. current — electric
  18. squash — to crush
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fall — the season
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fall — to drop

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