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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. march — music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. march — the month
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. march — the month
  16. last — final
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stock — goods
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stock — shares
  23. last — finally
  24. last — to go on

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