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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. fine — all right
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fork — in a road
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. key — for a lock

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