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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rock — music
  6. face — part of the head
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fine — all right
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hand — help
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — a stone
  21. saw — the tool
  22. charge — in control
  23. fine — high quality
  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