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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. face — to point toward
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. firm — a company
  5. row — to paddle
  6. march — the month
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. march — music
  13. firm — steady
  14. mug — a cup
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. row — a line
  17. face — to confront
  18. march — the month
  19. plane — a tool
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — an illness
  24. mug — a face

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