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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rest — what's left
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rule — a law
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mark — a trace
  10. face — part of the head
  11. fine — all right
  12. face — to confront
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rule — government
  24. stock — a soup base

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