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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. fork — in a road
  3. scale — size or range
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. face — to confront
  9. scale — in music
  10. face — to point toward
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fine — all right
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. sharp — clever
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. date — the fruit
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. craft — boats
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fine — high quality

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