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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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Word bank
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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. face — to confront
  3. game — a match
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. deal — to handle
  7. chair — a leader
  8. fine — all right
  9. scale — in music
  10. fine — high quality
  11. face — to point toward
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. scale — size or range
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. face — part of the head
  24. lie — to recline

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