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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ground — a position
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. present — the time now
  6. march — the month
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. march — music
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. face — to confront
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. date — the fruit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. march — the month
  19. face — part of the head
  20. present — a gift
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. present — there
  23. date — on the calendar
  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