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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. firm — a company
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stock — shares
  5. rock — music
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. spell — letters
  12. firm — steady
  13. spell — magic
  14. face — to confront
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. vault — a safe
  17. firm — decided
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. face — part of the head
  24. leaves — to go away

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