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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pass — a permit
  3. face — to point toward
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. kid — child
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cue — a signal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rest — what's left
  23. face — to confront
  24. pass — to succeed

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