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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. face — part of the head
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rest — a break
  7. can — a tin
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. face — to confront
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rock — a stone
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. track — to keep track
  21. can — to be able to
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. rock — 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