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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wound — an injury
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fall — the season
  6. content — the amount
  7. face — to point toward
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. march — the month
  10. rest — what's left
  11. march — the month
  12. content — happy
  13. fall — to drop
  14. face — part of the head
  15. saw — the tool
  16. face — to confront
  17. rest — a break
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. march — music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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