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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. mug — to rob
  3. face — part of the head
  4. shower — rain
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. shower — to wash
  9. face — to confront
  10. staff — a stick
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. staff — employees
  14. stock — goods
  15. staff — employees
  16. stock — shares
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ground — the earth

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