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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. face — to confront
  6. mark — a grade
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mark — a trace
  9. kick — in football
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cold — an illness
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fine — all right
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. face — part of the head
  19. charge — a price
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cold — not warm
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. charge — in control

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