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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. present — a gift
  3. firm — decided
  4. land — ground
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. firm — a company
  8. fine — all right
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. present — there
  11. spring — the season
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. spring — of water
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lean — thin
  18. firm — steady
  19. land — to come down
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. land — a country
  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