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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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Word bank
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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fine — high quality
  3. date — the fruit
  4. face — to confront
  5. rest — a break
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. face — part of the head
  8. can — to be able to
  9. spell — a short time
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spell — magic
  12. fine — all right
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. can — a tin
  19. spell — letters
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. sharp — clever

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