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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. march — the month
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. march — the month
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. snap — to click
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. face — to confront
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. march — music
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. face — to point toward

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