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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. key — in music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. current — happening now
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. key — the most important part
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fine — all right
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wind — moving air
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stock — goods
  17. key — for a lock
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. face — to point toward
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. wind — moving air
  24. face — to confront

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