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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 124 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. chest — a box
  7. swing — to play on
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. face — to point toward
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. vault — a safe
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stock — shares
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. swing — in golf
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pit — in a race
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. swing — music

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