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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. current — happening now
  8. present — a gift
  9. fine — high quality
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. current — of water
  13. season — of the year
  14. lean — thin
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. current — electric
  17. court — for sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. face — to point toward
  20. season — in sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. court — of law

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