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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rule — a law
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stock — goods
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stock — shares
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rule — government
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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