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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 124 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. face — to confront
  3. bat — the animal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. present — a gift
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. present — there
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. face — to point toward
  20. date — the fruit
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — bread
  23. sharp — clever
  24. date — on the calendar

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