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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rest — what's left
  3. last — finally
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rest — a break
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stock — goods
  9. rest — what's left
  10. face — to confront
  11. saw — the tool
  12. face — part of the head
  13. last — final
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. last — to go on
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stock — shares
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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