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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fine — all right
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. face — to confront
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stock — shares
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. shower — to wash
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stock — goods
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fine — high quality
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. shower — rain
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fork — in a road
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. face — part of the head
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. nail — on a finger

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