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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. game — a match
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rash — a series
  5. stock — goods
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. current — happening now
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stock — shares
  14. face — part of the head
  15. current — electric
  16. lean — to bend
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. current — of water
  20. face — to confront
  21. lean — thin
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. dip — to sink

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