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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stock — shares
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bound — certain
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. face — to confront
  10. stock — goods
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rock — music
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cap — of ice
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rock — a stone
  24. kid — child

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