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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stock — goods
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. key — in music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chest — a box
  16. key — for a lock
  17. chest — of your body
  18. squash — the sport
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rest — a break
  21. face — to confront
  22. rest — what's left
  23. squash — to crush
  24. key — the most important part

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