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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. object — a thing
  4. fine — all right
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. face — to confront
  7. mug — to rob
  8. object — an aim
  9. face — to point toward
  10. spring — of water
  11. object — to protest
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spring — a coil
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. spring — the season
  17. mug — a cup
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fine — high quality
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. scale — in music
  22. mug — a face
  23. face — part of the head
  24. scale — size or range

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