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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. face — to confront
  3. staff — a stick
  4. face — to point toward
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fine — all right
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. date — the fruit
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. staff — employees
  21. stock — goods
  22. fine — high quality
  23. staff — employees
  24. leaves — of a tree

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