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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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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. face — to confront
  5. present — a gift
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. present — there
  8. track — a path
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wind — moving air
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. march — the month
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. march — music
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. present — the time now
  23. march — the month
  24. track — a song

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