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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bass — the fish
  4. face — to confront
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. object — to protest
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. toast — bread
  15. cell — in biology
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bass — low music
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — the animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bat — for baseball
  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