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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. can — a tin
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. row — to paddle
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. object — an aim
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. object — a thing
  15. can — a tin
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. object — to protest
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. row — a line
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cap — a hat
  24. row — a quarrel

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