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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. object — a thing
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pitch — completely
  5. face — to point toward
  6. object — to protest
  7. spell — a short time
  8. shower — to wash
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. spell — letters
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. face — to confront
  15. object — an aim
  16. spell — magic
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. dip — to dunk

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