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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. firm — decided
  2. pit — in a race
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. face — to point toward
  9. firm — a company
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stock — goods
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stock — shares
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — a position
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pit — a hole
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. firm — steady
  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