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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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. firm — a company
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. sharp — clever
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. firm — steady
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. scale — in music
  21. firm — decided
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. face — part of the head

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