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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. present — there
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. face — part of the head
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. present — a gift
  10. squash — the sport
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. squash — to crush
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. face — to confront
  15. snap — to click
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. present — the time now
  19. scale — in music
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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