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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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. chair — to sit on
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stock — shares
  6. file — a line of people
  7. face — to point toward
  8. craft — boats
  9. file — a document
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stand — to bear
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. face — part of the head
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. suit — clothes
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. file — a tool
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stock — goods

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