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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. face — part of the head
  11. march — music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. face — to confront
  15. rock — a stone
  16. court — of a king
  17. rock — music
  18. rule — a law
  19. court — of law
  20. rule — government
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. court — for sport

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